Pokemon Beginnings: Rise Of A Legend
by FoxMcCloud7921
Summary: With every story, there is a beginning. Ash Ketchum, along with Pikachu and many new friends he meets along the way, must journey on a long and difficult quest to defeat a great evil that threatens to plague the entire Pokemon world.
1. A Defining Friendship is Born

Me – Well, here we all are again with another FoxMcCloud7921 production!

Pikette – Wait a minute, didn't we just finish Pokemon 7 yesterday?

Me – Yes, but I couldn't wait any longer. You try keeping ideas bottled up inside for so long. Anyway, THIS is the next big project I'm going to be working on, and I better explain a couple things so people don't get confused. Unlike most Pokemon fics you see, this one is different. Why you ask? Because, instead of collecting Pokemon, a trainer has ONE Pokemon, and that Pokemon is kind of like his or her guardian. To have one as your own, you kind of have to appeal to it, pretty much convince it to join you. Understand so far? That being said, there are no Pokeballs and Pokemon roam around freely with their trainer at will. Also, something new I'm bringing to the table, all Pokemon can speak. Yes, you heard me correctly. And one more thing, while this is something I'm just doing just for the heck of it, I'm kind of giving certain people/Pokemon voice actors. Oh yes, I am going that far. But to avoid spoilers, I'll assign those roles at the end of the chapter whenever a new character is introduced. And let's see… I think that should be it, so let's get this thing started!

Everyone – WOOHOO!

* * *

Chapter 1: A Defining Friendship is Born

_They say that with anything, there is always a beginning. Everyone and everything has to start from somewhere. Such is the case for a familiar hero. This is where his, and his soon to be friends, journeys begin._

The clock had hit seven. As soon as the alarm went off, fourteen year-old Ash Ketchum woke straight up out of bed, feeling excitement all over. Today was the day he had planned for so long. Today was the day he would find his own Pokemon. And in Kanto, the possibilities were endless. As soon as he got up, he quickly got the clothes he was planning to wear and went to the bathroom to take a shower. As soon as that was done, he went downstairs.

"Well, my son sure looks ready for today," his mother, Delia, said as Ash came into the kitchen. She had gotten up before him so that she could make him breakfast.

"I sure am, Mom," Ash said. "I'll finally have a Pokemon of my own, just like the others."

"Just make sure to make friends with them, not enemies," his mother reminded him.

"I know," Ash replied. Once breakfast was done, they both started eating, Ash at a faster pace and was done within minutes. "Sorry Mom, but who knows who else could be out there right now?" Ash said as soon as he was done.

"I understand," Delia said. "I just hope you made sure to change your underwear." Ash then face-faulted at the comment.

"Aw, Mom," Ash complained. "I'm fourteen now, do you always have to ask that?"

"Sorry dear," Delia said with a smile. "Sometimes I forget that you're growing up so fast."

"Well,I'll be back as soon as I find someone!" Ash said. "Love you Mom!" He was then out the door, while Delia shook her head in amusement.

* * *

The sun was rising over the Kanto region. Many different Pokemon, from Pidgey to Raticate, awoke from their shelters to breath in the new day. However, one Pokemon wasn't real thrilled about it.

In a small shelter underneath one of the larger trees sat a Pikachu who was still sleeping. But, once the sun shone in his eyes, he let out a groan of irritation as he woke up. "Morning already?" he asked out loud. "Ugh, even sleeping is no longer fun. He got up and stretched while yawning. It was time for him to get prepared for today, even if today would be another downer. Around this time, trainers would come frolicking right into Viridian Forest, as it was the Pokemon hotspot of the area, looking for almost anyone.

Pikachu had no problem being with a human, as it meant shelter and food, two things he needed right now. The problem was that he tended to be shrugged off. Either they ignored him, or found a Pokemon better than him. That, and the fact some of the friends he had previously known was taken by either trainers or Team Rocket, which were a group of poachers practically. This is why he was starting to feel hopelessness. He then got out of his shelter and started looking around for some food. About twenty minutes later, he still hadn't found anything and his irritability was kicking in. "Well, this is just fantastic!" Pikachu snapped. "Practically everyone else has eaten all the food around here." He then sighed. "Well, guess I'm just gonna have to sleep it off again." He then headed back towards his small shelter.

* * *

After a long day, Ash had still come up with nothing. Any Pokemon he had seen so far either ran, made a rude gesture to him, or told him to "piss off." Not exactly the friendliest of Pokemon. "And I thought they'd be wanting a trainer to take care of them," Ash muttered. He was tired, and was thinking about just going home, but decided to look around a little more. As he kept walking, he then noticed something nearby. Curious, he walked over to it. There sleeping, was a Pikachu, a male one at that. Ash wasn't sure if he should wake him up or not, but he couldn't just stand there. "Um, excuse me," Ash said.

"Huh?" the Pikachu said, waking up. He opened his eyes and looked to Ash. "Listen human," he said irritably. "If you're looking for someone, look somewhere else because I'm not in the best of moods right now."

"Uh, sorry," Ash said as he backed away and turned his back on him.

As soon as Ash walked away, Pikachu opened his eyes and looked to the trainer. He then sighed. "What has gotten into you, Pikachu?" he said.

Well, it definitely wasn't Ash's day. Perhaps he'd have better luck tomorrow? But then again, what was the point? It wasn't like he was gonna have better luck tomorrow. Guess it was time to head home, since it was starting to get late in the evening. He was on his way until he heard a rustle in the trees somewhere, causing him to stop. "Who's there?" Ash then said.

Suddenly, about six pairs of eyes in the trees stared at him. "Human!" a voice then boomed. "How dare you invade our territory!?" Suddenly, there were about six Spearow staring at him.

"Wait a minute!" Ash said quickly. "I didn't mean to, it was an accident I-"

"Silence!" the Spearow in the middle of the group said. "You will pay dearly for coming onto our territory unannounced!"

* * *

(A/N: Alright, first song of the story, YAY! Ahem, the name of this song is "Battle Theme (FFVI)" by The Black Mages.)

* * *

*Suddenly, what appeared to be a Thunderbolt attack came out of nowhere, hitting where the Spearow were, startling them as they flew into the air. Then, out of nowhere, Pikachu fell to his feet right in front of Ash. "Spearow, let this human go. He has done nothing wrong."

"You dare defend this human who has trespassed into our territory!?" the Spearow said angrily.

"Funny, I don't your name on it," Pikachu responded.

"You insolent little pest!" the Spearow said. "You both shall pay for messing with us! Let them have it boys!" The Spearow then rushed right at the both of them.

Pikachu sighed. "I didn't want to do this, but you give me no choice. Thunderbolt!" He then unleashed a powerful attack, electrocuting all the Spearow that charged them.

Once it was done, the Spearow then panicked. "Run for it!" And like that, they ran for their lives.

Pikachu then let out a sigh of relief. He then looked to Ash angrily. "You need to be more careful when you're going through here!" he snapped. He then stopped, frowned, and then turned around. "I'm sorry. I need to head back."

Ash then stared at the Pikachu, the one who saved him, as he walked away. "Hey, wait!" Ash said, causing Pikachu to stop. "Listen, thanks for saving me back there. I was wondering, maybe perhaps you wanted to become my Pokemon and come live with me?"

That quickly got Pikachu's attention. He turned around. "You mean it?" he asked.

"Of course," Ash said, as he walked up to him. "I have to repay you somehow."

Pikachu then smiled. "Oh, why not?" he said. "I would be delighted to be your guardian, and your friend of course."

"Awesome," Ash said, laughing. "By the way, my name is Ash."

"Ash," Pikachu said. His smile widened. "Yes, I have a feeling we will become good friends."

* * *

(A/N: Alright, here's the second to last song. The name of it is "Sunset Horizons" from Kingdom Hearts II. Yeah, we're going to have a lot of Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts song in this story.)

* * *

*Meanwhile, in another region, the atmosphere was not nearly as warming or friendly. The sky was filled with dark clouds. Then, out of the forest, came a man, dressed in a black cloak. His name was Sirius. Something appeared to be bothering him. "I tried telling them on what we should do," he said as he kept walking. "I told them we have to move quickly if we want to catch them off-guard. It would make things so much easier."

Soon, he stopped in his tracks. "But none of them listened. I then have no choice but to do this on my own." He then turned back to the forest. "You are all fools! And you will know that once you come crawling back to me after this world is mine and I am named Pokemon Emperor!" And with that, he disappeared into nothingness, to come up with his new future plans.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, NOW it is time for the credits music. While it doesn't have an official title yet, the name of the song I found it as is "Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Theme" from, well, I think you can guess where. I would highly suggest listening to this because it's an awesome song. I actually was gonna do a little cinematic thing here, but it would've spoiled too much. Oh yeah, so here are the voice actors I'm going to use:

James Arnold Taylor (Yes, he's the guy who plays Tidus from FFX) – Pikachu

Billy Zane – Sirius

Everyone else is self-explanatory. And yes, I'm giving Pikachu a voice actor because it's not often he talks now, is it?)

**Pokemon Beginnings  
**Rise Of A Legend

* * *

Pikachu – So, you're giving me a sexy voice?

Me – Yes, one that will make fangirls squeal like crazy. So, before I forget, I do not own Pokemon, like I've said before many times. I only own my OC's. I'm really excited about this, as well as the other stories that are coming up, so stay tuned for more coming up soon. I'm probably going to have another story posted today at some point. Until then, this is FoxMcCloud7921 signing out!


	2. Setting Off Into Adventure

(A/N: Okay, I bet you're all thinking why am I making such a story? The truth is, I know how the Pokemon games are supposed to be RPG games, but I feel the people who make the games can go just a bit further. Of course, I also love Final Fantasy and thought to myself, why not somehow merge them together? It's obviously not that difficult, having three Pokemon (or more) out in a battlefield at the same time. But, unfortunately, the creators like to stick to simple storyline so this is about as close as I can get to it. Prepare to be wowed.)

* * *

Chapter 2: Setting Off Into Adventure

_Two Years Later…_

It was a beautiful afternoon in Pallet Town. The sun was shining, along with clouds in the distance, and even the wind felt pretty good. You could say it was definitely a nice day in the summertime. What better to do on a day like this than some good-old, hard-line training?

"Alright Pikachu, now try using Iron Tail on the third rock," Ash said.

"Got it," Pikachu said. He started running towards the rock, jumped into the air, his tail starting to glow, and made direct contact with the rock, causing a large crack. There were three of them in Ash's backyard and they were big. Ash had gotten up extra to set the place up so that he could end up surprising Pikachu.

"Alright, nice work," Ash then said. "It seems you finally got that move down completely. Now, let's start working again on Volt Tackle. Use it on the same rock." Pikachu charged again, this time having electricity surround his body. He hit the rock head on, causing it to completely demolish into pieces. Ash was a bit stunned. "Wow, you took that thing out in one hit," he said, amazed. "Where did you get all that power?"

"Well, I just happen to have a lot of energy in me right now," Pikachu said. He then smiled sheepishly. "I think I get it from your mom's cooking." For the next hour or two, they continued training until the sun was starting to set. They finally stopped for the day, resting outside in front of the house.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, first song of the chapter. This song here is called "Lazy Afternoons" from Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories.)

* * *

*"Well, our journey starts tomorrow," Ash said as he had his hands behind his head, resting on the porch swing.

"Yeah," Pikachu replied, who was resting in Ash's lap.

"My mind is just going crazy with all the Pokemon we could end up seeing," Ash said. "Perhaps we could end up running into a legendary as well."

"The road could be dangerous," Pikachu warned. "We may run into Pokemon, but they won't always be nice."

"Well, that's why I have you here Pikachu," Ash said, smiling.

"Oh thanks," Pikachu said while Ash started laughing.

"Just kidding," he said. "We'll take them on together." All of a sudden, his stomach started rumbling. Ash laughed sheepishly. "Well, guess I better make sure to get two good meals in before we go." He then heard a different rumble come from Pikachu, who blushed in embarrassment, causing Ash to laugh again. "Guess you'll need to do the same," he added.

"Dinner you two!" Delia's voice called out from inside.

"Alright!" both Ash and Pikachu said as they rushed inside instantly.

* * *

Later on that night, while Ash was sleeping, Pikachu was still awake. A bunch of things were on his mind. It would be the first time in two years that he would be back in the wild. It would be strange adjusting back to it, since adjusting to the home he was at now took no time at all.

Not only that, but Pikachu was feeling a bit uneasy. Like he had said before, some Pokemon were friendly and others were not. He just hoped they encountered more of the former, and less of the latter. But still, the journey itself would be an exciting adventure. If only he knew just what he and Ash were going to get themselves into.

* * *

The next morning, around eight, Ash got out of bed and quickly took a shower. After that, he quickly got dressed, put on his vest and cap and soon started packing clothes. It was going to be a long trip most likely. Meanwhile, Pikachu was just waking up. "You weren't kidding when you said we were getting up early," Pikachu groaned.

"Nope," Ash said, smiling. Pikachu had a tendency to sleep in a lot. Once Ash got a sufficient number of clothes into his bag, he then said, "Alright that should be enough. We'll have enough food and water until we get to the next town."

"So that's it then?" Pikachu asked.

"Should be," Ash said. He then sighed. "Mom's not going to like it much that I'll be gone for so long." His expression then brightened. "Well, I'm feeling hungry so let's get some breakfast."

"You said it," Pikachu said, getting onto his shoulder. As they went downstairs, they could smell the scent of food and saw, not to their surprise, that breakfast was already made, and it was a big one.

"I figured since it was going to be a long journey that you two get yourselves one last hearty meal," Delia said, smiling.

"Aw, mom," Ash said. "You didn't have to go that far."

"I know dear," Delia said. She then went up to him and gave him a hug. Ash could see that she had tears in her eyes. "It's going to be lonely with you gone so long, but I'll manage."

"Don't worry mom," Ash said. "I'll make sure to call you when I have the chance."

"Promise?" his mom asked.

"Promise," Ash responded.

"Alright," Delia said. "Well, you better hurry up and eat if you want to get out there."

"Oh, that won't be a problem for Pikachu and I," Ash said. "Right buddy?"

"Yep," Pikachu responded.

After quickly eating their meal (Pikachu happened to be a quick eater as well), they got all their stuff together. "Alright mom, it's time we take off," Ash said.

"Alright Ash," Delia said, giving him one last hug. "Just make sure to be careful, make friends, and have fun out there."

"I will," Ash said. He then turned around and went towards the door. "Bye mom!"

Delia let out a sigh as he went out the door. _"Look at him," _she thought. _"Only sixteen and he's practically an adult now. Time sure goes by fast. His father would sure be proud of him."

* * *

_"Alright, so where will we head first?" Pikachu asked, who was still on Ash's shoulder as they started leaving town.

Ash, meanwhile, was looking at a map he took with him. "Well, the next city closest to here is Viridian City, and then Pewter City which is through Viridian Forest."

"That sounds like a good place to start," Pikachu said.

Viridian City was actually not too far from Pallet Town, and in less than an hour they were able to reach the city. Along the way, they managed to see a flock of Pidgey glide out into the horizon. Once reaching the city, it was easy to tell the difference between living in a town and living in a city. "So what do we do now?" Pikachu asked.

"I guess we could take a look around," Ash said. "We still have the entire day before us. We just need to find a place to stay before it ends up getting dark."

The city was bustling with people and Pokemon alike as the two of them walked down the main street. Realizing they had been walking for over an hour, they decided to take a short rest. Then, they saw a small park just up ahead and went there. "Phew," Ash then said as he took a seat on one of the benches. "It was sure a long walk, but I guess its good exercise."

"This is definitely a big city," Pikachu said. "And you know what that means."

"What's that?" Ash asked.

"Well, if there's a lot of people," Pikachu explained. "Then most likely there'll be someone who wants to battle."

"You have a point," Ash said. He then got up. "Alright, I'm good to go now." However, he wouldn't get too far before-

"Hey!" Ash looked behind him to see another trainer with a Sandslash staring at him. "I need a good battle to help train my Sandslash, and your Pikachu looks rather tough. Let's have a battle!" Pikachu quickly gave Ash a look that said, "Told you so."

* * *

(A/N: Okay, this will be the last song of the chapter. The name of this song is "Kanto Trainer Battle (Burning Battlefield)" from the Pokemon anime. I really love the guitar part in this song.)

* * *

"Well, I don't see why not," Ash said. "What do you think Pikachu?" Pikachu gave a small nod. "Alright, then we accept your challenge! *Go get 'em Pikachu!"

Pikachu quickly jumped off of Ash's shoulder and took a battle stance in front of him. "Go for it Sandslash!" the trainer said.

Sandslash quickly made the first move. "Crush Claw!" he yelled, the claws on his one paw glowing white.

Pikachu waited until the right moment and then dodged the attack. "Iron Tail!" he said, coming down and hitting Sandslash, knocking him to the ground.

"Nice job Pikachu!" Ash said. "Now stay on the offensive!"

"Got it," Pikachu said. He then charged forward using Quick Attack.

However, Sandslash wouldn't be fooled twice. "Gyro Ball!" he yelled, rolling into a ball and spinning right towards Pikachu. Unfortunately, Pikachu could not stop and was hit by the attack. He was sent back but slid on the ground to regain control of himself. Pikachu had to be careful, since all he could practically use was close-range attacks. Then, Pikachu came up with an idea.

Wondering why Pikachu was waiting, Sandslash then decided to make the next move. "Focus Punch!" he then said, charging straight at Pikachu. However, he wasn't expecting the smirk on Pikachu's face.

"Volt Tackle!" Pikachu said, charging and meeting him head on, hitting Sandslash with full power. Sandslash fell to the ground, knocked out cold.

"Awesome job Pikachu!" Ash said, coming over to his friend and giving him a hug.

"Ah! Sandslash!" the trainer said, going over to his Pokemon and making sure he was alright.

"I'm alright," Sandslash said, to the trainer's relief.

"That was a good battle," the trainer then said. "Your Pikachu is obviously real strong. Thanks so much. Now Sandslash, we're getting you to a Pokemon Center." And with that, they took off.

"Guess that training really paid off," Pikachu said.

"You're telling me," Ash said. "Are you alright?"

"A couple bumps but I'm alright," Pikachu replied.

"Good, then let's-" However, Ash then stopped.

"What is it Ash?" Pikachu asked.

"I don't know, but it looks like something's going on over there," Ash said.

Pikachu looked in his direction and saw a group of people just outside a building. "Should we check it out?" he asked.

"Why not?" Ash asked and the two of them made their way over to the largely crowded building.

* * *

(A/N: Oh but do I just love cliffhangers. Actually, once you find out what's really going on, it's nothing dire, but I still won't say what it is. As you can see, Pikachu now is just like the Pikachu in the anime, but there is a catch. However, you won't find that out just yet and I'm not saying when. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and in the next one, Ash is going to meet an important character to the storyline.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	3. Meeting Dawn

(A/N: Okay, I kind of decided to do this just because the following scene that will take place is a thing that people associate with this character. Don't ask me where it came from, because I wouldn't know. The song that will be accompanying this is called "Stomp To My Beat" from DDR, I forget which one. Anyway, I think that practically spoiled it.)

* * *

Chapter 3: Meeting Dawn

*Ash and Pikachu quickly made their way over to the building, which happened to be an arcade. Going up to where the large group was, they then saw what was going on. There, playing on one of the DDR machines was a young girl, wearing a sleeveless black shirt, pink skirt and white beanie on her head. Apparently she must be really good to attract quite the crowd, since they were cheering for her loudly.

However, not as loudly as one in particular. "Go for it Dawn!" There was a Pokemon hanging on the rail of the other side of the machine. Ash happened to recognize it as a Piplup. "You got this!"

"_Dawn? Is that her name?"_ Ash thought. He looked back to the girl. She was young, and rather pretty. He couldn't seem to get his eyes off her. Her features, looks, everything about her just seemed… perfect. But why all of a sudden was he feeling this?

"Um, Ash?" Pikachu asked. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Ash quickly said, breaking out of his trance. "Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something." Little he did he know that Pikachu had a smile on his face as he looked back to the girl.

Soon, the song ended and the girl finally relaxed, breathing heavy from the workout she experienced. "Thank you, thank you," she then said with a smile. Soon, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Ash and Pikachu there. "Well, what did you think of that?" she then said.

"Amazing as always," the Piplup said, getting on top of her beanie. "I see you got yourself a new high school." However, he then stopped as something caught his eye.

"Hm?" the girl then said. She then looked over and the two just standing. She couldn't help but giggle a bit. "Oh, hi there," she said. "I guess you were watching as well?"

"Um, yeah," Ash said, a bit hesitant. He had never really talked to a girl before. "Sorry if it seems like I'm creeping on you. I actually just arrived here."

The girl then laughed. "Oh no, no," she said. "It's fine. I tend to attract a crowd whenever I play DDR. I have all spots on the high scores list. No one will ever be able to beat them." She then walked up to him. "My name is Dawn," she said, reaching out her hand. "And this is my friend Piplup."

"My name is Ash," Ash said, shaking her hand. "And this is my partner Pikachu."

"Do you live here in Viridian City?" Pikachu asked.

"No, we're actually from Twinleaf Town, in Sinnoh," Dawn replied.

"Sinnoh?" Ash said. "I've heard of the region."

"We've been doing some traveling," Piplup said. "We actually just got here the other day."

"Dawn." They turned around and saw a guy their age come up to them, wearing a blue jacket and accompanied by an Electabuzz. He looked at Ash with a glare. "Oh, I didn't know I was interrupting something."

"Oh, hi Paul," Dawn then said, smiling. "This is my new friend I just met, Ash. Ash, this is Paul." However, Paul just continued to glare at him, without really acknowledging him. Ash instantly got a bad vibe from this guy.

"Whatever," Paul then said. "I'm heading back to the hotel. Will you be coming back at some point?"

"Um, yeah, I'll go back to the hotel in a little bit," Dawn said. With a small nod, Paul and his Electabuzz left the arcade.

"Sheesh, not exactly the friendliest welcome," Pikachu commented.

"I'm sorry about that," Dawn said, sighing. "Paul isn't exactly too friendly around new people. With me, he's quite different. You just have to get to know him."

"Does he travel with you?" Ash asked.

"Yes," Dawn said. "We've been friends for about three years now. Unfortunately, Piplup isn't a big fan of him."

"And with good reason," Piplup said. "Have you seen how he treats his Electabuzz when he messes up? Ugh, the nerve of some people."

"Why is he like that?" Ash asked.

"I can explain," Dawn said. "But not here. I'll explain outside." They then walked out together towards a different part of the city. "You see, the reason Paul is like the way he is is because of his father."

"His father?" Ash asked.

"Paul has a brother named Reggie, who has trained real hard with the Pokemon he has. His father greatly respects Reggie, but has always given Paul a hard time," Dawn explained. "I hate to say it, but it almost seems like his father favorites Reggie over him."

"Guess after hearing that I can't blame him for acting like that," Ash said.

"Yeah, he and I are in the same boat," Dawn said.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

Dawn frowned slightly. "I usually don't like to talk about it, but since we're now officially friends, I'll tell you anyway. The reason why I'm journeying around all these regions was to get out of the house. My father passed away a couple years ago, leaving me and my mother to fend for ourselves. Then, she met a man who happened to be part of a rich business and soon married him. Unfortunately for me, I didn't realize he would be such an… asshole." Her eyes then narrowed in anger. "He's a cruel man, most likely from all the money he gains. He often abuses my mother, and had even given me a few marks. Finally, enough was enough, and I left, trying to get away from my stepfather. I just wish I could help my mom, but we both know without him, things will become difficult again."

"Dawn, I'm sorry to hear that," Ash said.

"Thank you," Dawn said, smiling a bit. "Say, I've been meaning to ask, but what are you planning on doing?"

"Well, I guess pretty much the same thing you and Paul are doing," Ash replied.

"Really!?" Dawn said. "That's amazing! That means you could probably come with us, right!?"

"Well… if it's alright," Ash said.

"Of course!" Dawn said happily. "Any friend is welcome to join us. Where are you heading to now?"

"Right now? Pewter City," Ash replied.

"Oh, that shouldn't be too far then," Dawn said. "I have yet to go there myself. We can go there. I'll give Paul-" She then stopped. "Hmm, Paul probably just got back to the hotel. Oh well, I'll give him a call later to tell him where I am. Actually, I was wondering about something. I know your Pikachu must be tough, so I was wondering if perhaps we could have a short battle? You know, just for fun."

"Don't see why not," Ash said. "What do you say Pikachu?"

"Sounds like fun to me," Pikachu answered.

"What about you Piplup?" Dawn asked.

"I'm always looking forward to a battle," Piplup said with a smirk.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, I know I always do this the _second _chapter, but things didn't go exactly as I had planned it. Oh well, this song here is going to be our secondary credits, which is called "Kimi No Soba De" from the anime, which is supposed to be Dawn's theme song. Hey, I had to do it at some point didn't I?)

* * *

Once finding a vacant area to battle, they then faced each other. *"I know this is just for fun, but realize Piplup won't go easy on you Pikachu," Dawn said.

"Likewise," Ash said. "Just make sure that you can keep up. Alright Pikachu, the stage is yours!"

"You go as well Piplup!" Dawn said.

The two Pokemon instantly went at it. Being an electric-type, Pikachu had the advantage. He quickly charged forward using Quick Attack, and then jumped into the air to use Iron Tail. This was always the first strategy he used on an opponent. However, Piplup was just as quick as he dodged and used BubbleBeam, hitting Pikachu and causing him to retreat back.

Piplup, on the offensive, then used Whirlpool, throwing the attack right at Pikachu. Of course, Piplup didn't realize what would happen next. Pikachu went straight through the whirlpool, using Volt Tackle, and hit Piplup directly with such force that sent him back. However, Piplup reacted quickly and countered with Peck, actually managing to hit Pikachu since he let his guard down.

Pikachu slid across the ground to stop himself and then without discretion used Thunderbolt, hitting Piplup directly. After the attack, Piplup stumbled, putting up his one flipper. "Enough," he said. "Enough."

"Piplup," Dawn said quickly, going up to him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm just fine," Piplup said. "I just figured now was the time to stop before things got too crazy."

"Yeah, you have a point," Pikachu added.

"Well Ash, I can definitely see that your Pikachu is strong," Dawn commented. "But at least we both were at least able to get some training in. So, what do you say we keep going then? Oh look, Viridian Forest is just up ahead. Pewter City is supposed to be on the other side. Shall we head there then?"

"Sure, why not?" Ash said.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep inside the forest, a man appeared, walking through it. The wild Pokemon noticed his presence and felt the dark power emancipating from him. Suddenly, a group of Pidgeotto and Fearow attacked at him, charging at warning. However, without much motion, the man raised his hand, letting out small black spheres which hit them, causing them to fall unconscious. He stopped and looked at the Pokemon, not even feeling the littlest of pity. _"Foolish Pokemon," _he thought. _"There are still those that oppose me. No matter, once I, Sirius, the Pokemon Emperor, have control of all this land, no Pokemon would dare challenge me without the penalty of death."

* * *

_"So, how exactly did you and Piplup meet up?" Ash asked as the two finally made their way into the forest.

"Well, it actually happened on chance," Dawn said, looking to her friend. "About a year ago, I was exploring the forest near Sandgem Town, because Professor Rowan, a friend of mine said that some of the Pokemon in the lab had gotten loose."

*Flashback*

_Dawn made her way through the forest. Some of the other Pokemon managed to make their way back to the lab, but there was still one more to find. All of a sudden, a shot of string lashed out and went around her leg, causing her to trip and fall. Instantly, her arms and other leg were caught as well. "What the-!? What's going on!?" she cried out._

_There was snickering and laughter as six pairs of eyes surrounded. "Look what we found ourselves," a voice said._

"_Fresh meat, that's what!" another voice said. All of a sudden, Dawn was surrounded by a group of Ariados._

"_Please, leave me alone!" Dawn cried out pleadingly. "I didn't mean to trespass here!"_

"_Well, that's too bad," one of the Ariados said. "Perhaps you should've thought of that before coming in. Look's like meats back on the menu boys! Get her!"_

_All of a sudden, there was a volley of bubbles, hitting all the Ariados right in the face, causing them to retreat back, and cutting loose all the strings holding Dawn. Then, Dawn saw her savior, who happened to be Piplup, the Pokemon she was looking for. "Six against one? That's not quite fair, is it?" he said._

"_Gah! Let's get out of here!" The Ariados then ran away in fear, realizing they were no match. _

"_Are you alright?" Piplup asked her._

"_Yes," Dawn said. She then gave him a hug. "Thank you so much!"_

"_Easy now!" Piplup said, his breathing cut off. Once Dawn let go of him, he then asked, "So, may I ask what your name is?"_

_Dawn then smiled. "The name is Dawn."_

"And after that, we became good friends," Dawn said. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be standing here right now."

"Yeah, those Ariados weren't much of a hassle," Piplup said, a smug look on his face.

Dawn then laughed sheepishly. "Oh, I guess I forgot to mention the fact that Piplup tends to act a bit overconfident at times."

"Overconfident!?" Piplup said.

Dawn then laughed. 'Don't take it personally Piplup, it's what makes you you. So, how did you end up meeting Pikachu?"

"A very similar story," Ash said, who then explained the entire thing to her.

"Very similar indeed," Dawn then commented. She then stopped. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Ash asked.

"It sounds like…" Dawn's eyes then widened. "A Pokemon calling for help!"

"I can hear it too," Pikachu said. "We better check it out."

The four of them then started running towards the call of distress. Once they found the source, they were a bit surprised to see what they saw. A Houndour and Poochyena both had a Bidoof pinned to the ground. "So, you thought you could just run and abandon Lord Sirius?" the Houndour said.

"That makes you a traitor," the Poochyena said. "And Lord Sirius does not accept traitors."

"Run away?" the Bidoof said quickly. "No, it's not what you think, I was merely put on a recent mission to this region-"

"LIAR!" the Houndour yelled. "You know the punishment for such actions. Shall we do it now?"

"Yes, at once," Poochyena said.

"Hey!" Ash then called out. "You leave that Pokemon alone!"

"What?" Houndour said. "Oh, of course humans just have to get involved."

"What right do you have of hurting innocent Pokemon!?" Dawn cried out.

"Back off, humans," Poochyean growled, baring his fangs. "This doesn't concern you."

* * *

(A/N: Gee, I wonder what this is going to end up as? Well, guess it's time for some more battle music. This song here I got from PokeRemixStudio called "Pokemon D/P Remix – Trainer Battle," which of course is the theme when facing trainers in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum.)

* * *

*"You know, I don't like your attitude," Pikachu said.

"You of all, traitor, have no room to talk," Houndour said.

"I think maybe perhaps we should teach these two a lesson about hurting other Pokemon," Dawn said. "What do you think Ash?"

"I was thinking the exact same thing," Ash said. "Let's take care of these two."

"Annoying humans," Houndour said. "Let's take care of this first before getting back to business. Flamethrower!"

"Shadow Ball!" Poochyena cried out as both launched their attacks simultaneously.

"BubbleBeam!" Piplup cried out, launching a volley of bubbles that countered the flamethrower.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu cried out, using his tail to deflect the Shadow Ball attack.

"Hm, they are stronger than I thought," Houndour said. "It's time we get more serious." He then jumped into the air. "Fire Fang!"

"Hidden Power!" Poochyena said. Houndour's attack managed to hit Piplup, causing a good amount of damage, while Poochyena's attack came too quick for Pikachu to come up with a counterattack as both were knocked away.

"Piplup," Pikachu then said. "Follow my lead. Thunderbolt!" He then shot out a large force of electricity, electrocuting both dog Pokemon, stunning them.

Piplup then caught on. "Whirlpool!" he then said, summoning a very large one, and sending it straight at them. The two were caught in the attack, spun round and round until they both collided with a nearby tree.

"How… in the world?" both Pokemon managed to say before passing out.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, it is time I introduce another new aspect to the story. This is something totally new, but I think it's pretty cool. You know how I said I wanted to go for the RPG aspect? Well, I decided, just for the heck of it, to include a little victory theme in this. Now, this is completely optional to you people, but for this theme, I decided to use the victory theme from Final Fantasy VII. Why, because it fits the dark mood of the story. Of course, this is something you'll expect to hear after every battle, but you don't have to play it every single time. Just listen to it once, and trust me, it'll be stuck in your head. And don't worry, there won't be any "I JUST LEVELED UP!" comments.)

* * *

"Alright!" both Ash and Dawn said as they gave each other a high five.

"Wow, we certainly make a good team," Dawn commented.

"Yeah, we do," Ash said.

"Although, something doesn't seem right," Dawn said.

"What's that?" Ash asked.

"Well, Bidoof is a native Pokemon from Sinnoh," Dawn said.

"That's right!" Ash said. "And Houndour and Poochyena are both from Johto. So what are they doing here?"

"I don't know, but let's make sure Bidoof is okay," Dawn said. They both went over to the traumatized Pokemon. "Are you alright?" she then said.

Bidoof then opened his eyes. "Huh?" he then said. He then saw both Houndour and Poochyena on the ground, groaning. "Oh no!" he then said quickly. "I shouldn't be here! I need to get out of here immediately!"

"It's alright," Pikachu then said. "No one's going to hurt you."

"No!" Bidoof said quickly. "You have no idea the kind of power the Dark Lord has." He then shuddered.

"Dark Lord?" Piplup said.

There was then the sound of footsteps and both of them looked over to see a man walking towards them, wearing a black cape. "Ahh!" Bidoof said. "Lord Sirius!"

"Lord Sirius!" both Houndour and Poochyena said, getting to their feet.

"Please sir, forgive us of our recent failure," Houndour said.

"We were trying to intercept the traitor but these humans interfered," Poochyena said.

"I see," the man said, who was Sirius. "Return back to base. I will personally have a long talk with the both of you."

"Yes my lord," both of them said, disappearing in a flash of darkness.

"As for you," Sirius then said, looking to Bidoof. "Did you really think you could betray me and be able to escape freely?"

"Please my lord!" Bidoof said. "Have mercy on me!"

"Mercy?" Sirius said. I think not." He then snapped his fingers. Bidoof then let out a cry as he erupted in flames. He was dead in seconds.

"What did you do that for!?" Ash said angrily.

"He got what he deserved," Sirius said. "No one betrays Lord Sirius and lives to tell the tale."

"So you just go and kill innocent Pokemon!?" Piplup yelled angrily. "Just who do you think you are!?"

"Well, well, well," Sirius said with a smirk on his face. "I see this human has managed to make you her slave. Not only that, but you have quite the attitude. No matter, I shall free you of your bond since I can be... _forgiving_." He then conjured up a dark sphere in his hand and threw it right at Piplup.

Dawn, not knowing what could happen but could not let Piplup get hurt, then yelled his name and got in front of her as the sphere hit her, causing her to disappear in a flash.

"Dawn!" Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup said at the same time.

"Hm, the girl actually sacrificed herself for her Pokemon slave," Sirius said. "I must say I'm surprised."

"What did you do with her!?" Ash said angrily.

"She's not dead, if that is what you're wondering," Sirius said. "She is merely in another place now." He then conjured two more black spheres, and sent them out at Piplup and Pikachu, hitting them and knocking them both out. "Let that be a lesson for meddling in such affairs."

"You!" Ash said angrily, charging at him and pulling back his fist to punch the man in the face. However, he never made it and suffered the same fate as Pikachu and Piplup, succumbing to darkness.

* * *

(A/N: Aw man! I hated having to do that to Dawn, because I think we all know after this, we won't see her for awhile. Sorry Dawn, but someone had to do it. Oh well, it's part of the plot and it'll end up leading to something else, but you'll see soon enough. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and more will be on the way as the true story finally begins.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	4. The New Challenge

(A/N: Just on a small note, I'd like to wish everyone a belated New Years. Let's just hope 2010, and the new decade, is better.)

* * *

Chapter 4: The New Challenge

_Darkness, complete darkness in the sky. Ash looked around, seeing that he was in the same forest, but it looked terribly warped. He then noticed that he was all by himself. "Pikachu!?" he then called out. "Dawn!? Piplup!?" But there was no answer from anyone._

_Then, behind him, he heard his name being called out, and turned around to see Pikachu staring at him. Ash quickly ran to him, but the second he got to where Pikachu was, a hole suddenly appeared right under Pikachu, causing him to fall right into the ground. Horrified, Ash cried out, "Pikachu!" and jumped straight into the hole, after his friend. Then, while falling, he saw Pikachu stare back at him and suddenly hit him with a Thunderbolt attack.  
_

_

* * *

_

Ash suddenly woke up, finding himself lying in a bed, a hospital bed to be precise. "Ash!" He looked over to see both Pikachu and Piplup staring at him. "It's good to see you're finally awake," Pikachu said. He then laughed hesitantly. "I kind of had to electrocute you to wake you up, since it seemed the only way possible."

"We had been out about four hours," Piplup said.

"How did we end up here?" Ash said, looking around. They had to be at a Pokemon Center.

"We brought you here." They looked over to see a man, slightly older than Ash, perhaps eighteen or nineteen, standing at the doorway with a Vulpix right next to him. "It's good to see you've finally managed to wake up," he said. He then went up to Ash. "My name is Brock, and this is my partner Vulpix," he said. "What's yours?"

"Ash," Ash replied as the two of them shook hands. "Where are we exactly?"

"The Pokemon Center in Pewter City," Brock answered. "Vulpix and I happened to be going through the forest and happened to see all three of you completely passed out. Then, we brought you all back here."

"You were all unconscious, but for some reason you wouldn't wake up," Vulpix then said, continuing. "Not only that, but you were talking in your sleep as well about something."

"I have to ask though," Brock said. "Normally trainers have one Pokemon, but you happen to have two."

Ash then remembered what had happened before he fell unconscious. "Dawn…" he then said, looking to Piplup. Piplup was probably feeling terrible right now for what had happened to her. He then looked back to Brock. "Pikachu is mine, but Piplup isn't," he then said. He then got out of bed. "A friend of mine and I were heading into the forest before we encountered some wild Pokemon."

"And then what happened?" Brock asked.

"Some person came out of nowhere and pretty much attacked us," Pikachu said. "He was about to do something to Piplup but Dawn, Piplup's trainer, protected him and well… she disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Brock asked.

"She was hit by the attack and disappeared in a flash," Piplup said.

"Tell me," Vulpix then said. "Did this man happen to go by the name of Sirius?"

The three of them looked at her in surprise. "Yes," Ash said. "How did you know?"

"Vulpix?" Brock said, looking at her with surprise.

Vulpix just smiled while closing her eyes. "I've heard the Pokemon in the forest speak, or rather have read their minds, about this human, if he really is one."

"What do you mean?" Pikachu asked.

"Sirius, or to many of the Pokemon known as the Pokemon Emperor, has powers, Pokemon powers to be exact," Vulpix said. "Why or how, I do not know, but what I do know is that many Pokemon are loyal to him and act as spies. No wild Pokemon can really be trusted nowadays."

"Pokemon Emperor?" Ash asked.

"Indeed," Vulpix said. "His intentions are to free Pokemon from "the bonds of cruelty that humans display against them." It's simple; he wants the Pokemon to rebel against the humans. How he will do it, I do not know."

"This doesn't sound good at all," Brock said. "What can we do then?"

"I have to find Dawn," Ash said. "I don't know where to look, but I'll do whatever I can to find her."

"Then I'll help as well," Brock said. "I don't know if it'll help, but I know a Pokemon that I think can help us."

"Celebi," Vulpix said.

"Celebi?" Ash asked.

"A Pokemon that lives in Johto," Brock explained. "Celebi has the ability to teleport, as well as time travel. I can't guarantee that Celebi will be able to help, but it's a start."

"Alright, Johto it is," Ash said. "But, how will we get there?"

"We'll just have to take a bus I guess," Brock said.

Then, Nurse Joy came into the room. "Ash Ketchum?" she then said.

"Yes?" Ash said.

"Seeing that you're finally awake, you're cleared to leave since you sustained no injuries," Nurse Joy said.

All of a sudden, Brock came up to her, holding her hands. "Nurse Joy," he said, his demeanor different now. "The beauty you possess would make the sickliest of people feel better. I, Brock would be honored to take you out on a date and- AUGH!" Brock was cut off because Vulpix all of a sudden used Iron Tail on Brock, taking out both his knees and putting him in pain. "But maybe that'll be another time," he then said as Vulpix drug him away."

"Oh Brock," Vulpix sighed. Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup had instantly sweatdropped.

"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy," Ash then said. "Alright guys, we better go find ourselves the bus station."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Ilex Forest in Johto, Celebi was running for her life. A pack of Mightyena was on her tail, and they weren't willing to stop anytime soon. "You can't run forever!" one of them said, most likely the leader.

"_Damn it they're persistent," _she thought. In a normal case, she could teleport to safety, but now, it wouldn't make a difference. Sirius was after her, as well as the other legendaries, and he had spies in all regions. Why he was so interested in her, she did not know, but at this rate, she was either going to end up captured, or killed.

She needed to rest and seeing a large hole in one of the trees, she teleported to that spot. Lucky for her, the hole was vacant. She could then hear the pack near her. "She teleported again!" the leader said. "Search the area, every square inch of it!"

"Suicune, where the hell are you?" Celebi whispered. She knew her legendary friend was in the same situation she was, but he could at least try to help her. Besides, she knew he was somewhere in the area, somewhere in the forest. She then sighed, knowing it was now time to start running again. "And here we go again," she said as she zoomed out of the tree and began running once again.

* * *

Soon, Ash and Brock were able to get tickets to Azalea Town, which was one of the towns in Johto. As soon as the bus arrived, they got on, going to the back of the bus. It was going to take about an hour to reach the town, since the bus was making multiple stops beforehand. By that point, it would get dark meaning they would stop at the closest hotel in town.

Soon after the bus started heading towards its destination, Ash then glanced over to Piplup, who was staring out the window. "Hey Piplup, you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Piplup said, who was still staring in the same direction.

Ash let out a sigh. It was worse than he thought. Piplup really was kicking himself mentally for what had happened, even though it wasn't his fault. "Piplup, I know you're worried about Dawn, but I can assure you that we will find her," Ash said.

"She's still alive," Pikachu added. "It won't be easy finding her, but I'm sure if we find Sirius, we'll find her."

"I…" Piplup said. He then sighed, and looked to them. "Thank you, for trying to make me feel better. I'm just worried about her, because she could be anywhere, and I am the one who's supposed to protect her, like I've always done. And yet, she was the one who saved _me_."

"That just shows the bond of friendship you two have," Ash said. "I can definitely say I would've done the same for Pikachu."

"Ash…" Pikachu said, smiling slightly.

"But all I'm saying is that don't beat yourself for what happened," Ash said. "We'll find her, and things will go back the way they were."

"Thank you, both of you," Piplup said, smiling slightly. He then turned back to look outside the window. _"Don't worry Dawn, I'll find you and make sure no one even tries to hurt you."_

Meanwhile, in the Orange Islands, Sirius suddenly appeared through a large black portal. He looked around the island he was on, and then looked ahead to the three islands ahead: Fire, Thunder, and Ice. _"Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno could be helpful in my mission," _he thought. _"But right now, there is only one that I am interested in."_

He then walked towards the edge of the island, taking out a leaf whistle he had managed to find. Using it, he then played a familiar tune. Afterwards, he then waited. But, he didn't have to wait long before a low, booming voice. "Turn back," it said. "I can sense the evilness in you. Away with your tyrannical ambitions!"

"Not until I claim what's mine… Lugia," Sirius said, a smile on his face.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, this is practically an exclusive song, since it's a song from HeartGold/SoulSilver. Well, maybe not for the Japanese, but anyway, the name of the song is "Lugia Battle Theme" and I have to say, it's pretty sweet, especially for a Pokemon song.)

* * *

"You dare challenge me, the beast of the sea?" the voice said. *"Very well, you then leave me no choice." There was then an eruption of water as Lugia ascended into the sky. "You will pay for daring to threaten a legendary such as I. AncientPower!" He then shot a large clear orb of energy straight at Sirius, blasting the entire area to pieces. However, once the smoke cleared, Sirius was still standing, not even a scratch on him. "What!?" Lugia said.

"Now it's my turn to show you real power," Sirius said as he suddenly shot purple beams out of his fingers, the move known as Dark Pulse. The attack hit Lugia, causing him to grunt in pain. However, the shock was apparent in his eyes.

"How can a human know and have such power?" Lugia then said. "There's only one thing left to do now." He then began charging up energy, aiming straight at Sirius. "This is the end for you! AeroBlast!" He shot the beam straight at Sirius, knowing that it was his signature move he couldn't possibly survive it. However, something happened that he did not expect. Sirius then happened to use Counter, directing the beam straight back at him!

Being hit by the beam, Lugia felt the strength leave him as he fell towards the island, crashing into the ground. Lugia then opened his eyes and looked towards the man coming towards him. "What… are you?" he then said.

"There's more to me than meets the eye," Sirius said. "Now Lugia, it is time for you to follow in with my plans."

"What are you going to do to me?" Lugia asked, his vision starting to blur.

"Oh, don't you worry about that," Sirius said with a smile. "I won't kill you, but put you to good use. To use you as a subject of mine."

Lugia then closed his eyes as a tear ran down his cheek. _"I know what this person plans to do," _he thought. _"Forgive me Arceus… I have failed the entire world."  
_

_

* * *

  
(A/N: And that will end chapter four. You just saw a sample of what Sirius has been up to. But I won't give anymore info out. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and more will be on the way soon!)_

FoxMcCloud7921


	5. The Difficult Journey Begins

(A/N: Hey, sorry for the delay. The recent snow and cleaning kind of messed things up for me. By the way, I don't think I specified Brock's age yet. In this, I have him as eighteen. Dawn is also sixteen in case I didn't point that out either.)  


* * *

Chapter 5: The Difficult Journey Begins

When Dawn had finally woken up, she felt herself lying on a cold stone floor. She got up, groaning slightly while rubbing her head. She looked around to see that she was in some sort of cell, with a door as an exit. She went up to it and tried to open it but it was locked, not much to her surprise. She looked out between the bars and saw no one out there.

"Where am I?" she asked herself. "Hello!" she then called out. "Is there anyone there!?" Still, there was no answer. She sighed and then went back to sit on the cold floor. She then felt a shiver go down her spine. She definitely did not like this place, wherever it was.

Feeling cold, she curled up into a ball and went back to what happened before she ended up here. Her thoughts then turned to Ash, Pikachu, and most certainly Piplup. _"Piplup must be worried sick about me," _Dawn thought. All of a sudden, she felt tears come to her eyes. She then closed them as the tears rolled down her cheeks. _"Ash, I don't know where I am but please, help me."_

Ash then jolted out of his sleep, looking around quickly before calming down to see that they had reached their destination. "Are you alright Ash?" Pikachu asked, who just happened to be on Ash's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash said as he got up. Call him crazy, but for a moment Ash thought he had heard his named called. But he shook it off as he, Brock, and the others got off the bus. "So Brock, what exactly do you plan on doing as a career?" Ash asked as they went through Azalea Town.

"Me?" Brock asked. "Well, I hope to become one of the greatest Pokemon breeders in the world."

"A breeder huh?" Ash said. "That must take a lot of work."

"Yeah, it certainly does," Brock replied.

"Brock happens to be a very good cook," Vulpix said with a smile.

"Yeah, and you get spoiled too much," Brock said, smiling as he petted her. "In fact, I'll let Pikachu and Piplup try some." He then took out a small tubular container and took out two things of Pokemon food, giving them to both Pokemon.

After eating it, both Pokemon were surprised. "This is amazing!" Pikachu said.

"Absolutely," Piplup agreed.

"Glad to hear it," Brock said, chuckling slightly. Soon, they made it to the edge of Ilex Forest. "Well, here it is. Ilex Forest."

"Have you been here before?" Ash asked.

"Nope," Brock said. "I've been going around in mostly Kanto, so Johto is brand new for me. We have to be careful though, since there will be a lot of Pokemon in the forest."

"You don't think Sirius will be here, do you Ash?" Pikachu asked.

"I don't know," Ash said. His face then turned to anger. "But if he is, he'll pay for what he did to Dawn."

They continued on through the forest, going deeper into it. Suddenly, Vulpix stopped. "Vulpix, what is it?" Brock said.

"I can hear them," Pikachu said.

"Hear who?" Ash asked.

"Behind us," Piplup said.

"I can detect their scent," Vulpix said. "We were being followed."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, now we're finally doing some music here. It's time to go back to PokeRemixStudio for this next song, which is "Pokemon R/B/Y Remix – Trainer Battle.")  


* * *

There was a rustle in the trees above, and they then saw their followers in the air, who all happened to be Murkrow. "What is your reason for following us, Murkrow?" Vulpix then said.

"Hmph! A traitor no doubt," the leader said, referring to her. "If you must know, Lord Sirius sent us as sentries to guard this forest, allowing _no _humans to enter. *We would just kill the humans, but Sirius has no sympathy for traitors. Now, it is time to meet your fate!" They then charged all at once.

"Oh no you don't!" Pikachu said, jumping off of Ash's shoulder. "Thunderbolt!" He then unleashed a large amount of electricity, which held back some of the advancing Pokemon.

"BubbleBeam!" Piplup said, shooting out a volley of bubbles, which halted the rest of them.

"So, you choose to fight then?" the alpha Murkrow said. "Very well, then you _shall _die like the rest of them. Everyone, refer to Plan B." The flock then split into three groups; the ones on the left using Wing Attack, the ones on the right using Aerial Ace, and the middle going in for the kill.

"Piplup, Vulpix!" Pikachu then said. "You two go for the groups on the left and right. I'll take care of the leader."

"But Pikachu!" Ash quickly said.

"I got this Ash," Pikachu said reassuringly as he dodged one attack and then jumped right on the same Murkrow.

"Whirlpool!" Piplup cried out.

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix cried out as well. The two attacks met their targets head on, the former knocking them out, and the latter frying them to bits.

Meanwhile, Pikachu fought his way through until he was face to face with the alpha Murkrow. It used Shadow Ball but Pikachu dodged it and used Volt Tackle to weaken it completely. It was the only one left, and Pikachu wasn't quite done with him. "Alright you," he said, grabbing the bird by the feathers. "Just where is your _master_?"

"Like I would tell you, traitor," the Murkrow said weakly. "But then again, I do not know where Lord Sirius resides, so don't waste your time." Its head drooped to the side as it let out its last breath, and Pikachu let him fall to the ground.

"Well, guess he wasn't much help," Ash then said. "You three alright?" The three Pokemon nodded.

"They said they were guarding this forest," Brock said. "I'm getting the feeling they must be after Celebi."

"But why?" Piplup asked.

"That I do not know," Brock replied. "Anyway, we're getting deeper inside the forest so we may run into Celebi soon."

"Then let's make a move on it," Ash said, as the five of them continued on their way. As they went deeper, it was getting darker and darker due to the thickness of the trees.

All of a sudden, Vulpix stopped again. "I'm picking another scent," she said. "Mightyena. There's a pack close by."

"A pack?" Pikachu asked. "What could they be up to?"

All of a sudden, Ash heard a noise coming from behind and turned to see something come straight before running into his face, knocking him down. "Ash!" Pikachu quickly said.

"Oops, sorry about that," the Pokemon said as it got up.

"Celebi, is that you?" Brock asked.

"Huh?" Celebi said as she looked to Brock. "You know me? Well, I guess maybe a lot of humans do." She then looked to Ash. "Sorry I ran into you like that."

"Its fine," Ash said as he got up. "But why are you in such a hurry?"

"Look, I'd love to explain and all but-"

"There she is!" The group quickly looked over to see two Mightyena staring at them.

"Uh oh," Celebi quickly said.

"He said no humans," one of them growled. "Damn it, can't those blasted Murkrow do anything!?"

"Calm yourself," the other said, who had to have been the leader. "Now listen clearly humans. We are here because of Celebi and we need her to come with us."

"And why is that?" Piplup said angrily.

"Because that is our master's orders," the Mightyena said. "We were sent to this location to find her, retrieve her, and bring her back."

"Well, I'm afraid Celebi can't do that," Ash said. "So you might as well run along."

"Not an option," the Mightyena said. Soon, on all sides, the rest of the Mightyena appeared. "You see, Master Sirius specifically gave us orders for Celebi. And Sirius always gets what he wants. So, I would suggest you hand her over now, or else we'll be forced to kill you and your Pokemon friends as well."

"Ash, we're outnumbered," Brock said. "Even if we do fight, we can't win this."

"Well, I'm not just gonna stand here and let Celebi be taken away," Pikachu said angrily as he went out in front. "If you want her, you'll have to go through me first."

"Pikachu…" Ash said, surprised to hear what his friend was saying. This caused the other Mightyena to look to their leader

"So, traitor, you defy against the Pokemon Emperor himself?" the Mightyena asked. "You must be the most foolish Pokemon I have ever seen. Brothers, looks like we'll be getting our dues for this errand…"  


* * *

(A/N: And now for some more battle music. The name of this song is called "Scythe of Petals" from Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories.)  


* * *

Suddenly, there then came a flash of blue which ran into some of the advancing Mightyena, killing them on the spot. Soon the numbers appeared to even. *Then, the flash disappeared and in its place was the Pokemon Suicune. He then looked to Celebi. "Sorry for the wait," he said before turning back to the Mightyena.

"Well, well, well," the alpha Mightyena said. "If it isn't the legendary Suicune. Lord Sirius has been looking for you and your brothers as well. He'll enjoy having you both brought back, killing two Pidgey with one stone."

"I don't think so," Suicune said calmly. "Your _master _made a big mistake trying to capture us. Aurora Beam!" The beam was sent at the leader but one of his brothers sacrificed himself to protect his leader.

"We'll help you as well Suicune!" Ash said. "Pikachu!"

"Right," Pikachu replied. "Attack now! Thunderbolt!"

"Say hello to my Whirlpool!" Piplup quickly said, sending the attack at a group of Mightyena.

"Fire Spin!" Vulpix said, taking care of the others.

Soon, all who was left was the leader. "How?" he said. "How can they be so strong?" He was talking about Pikachu, Piplup, and Vulpix.

"I warned you," Suicune said. He then used Extrasensory, the beam ultimately killing the Pokemon. "Now you have paid the price."

Once the battle was over, Celebi crept out from hiding. "Well it's about time you showed up!" she said angrily. "I was almost being chased halfway through Johto. Where were you anyway?"

"In the same predicament as you," Suicune said to his friend. "However, I at least was able to outrun them."

"Hmph!" Celebi said angrily as she looked away from him.

Suicune looked to the two trainers and their Pokemon, or more like glared at them. "I thank you for your help," he then said. However, the Pokemon knew that their human friends were being ignored. "However, I think it is best if you leave and forget all of this ever happened."

"Huh!?" the others said.

"Wait a minute," Ash said, going up to the Pokemon. "But we came here to see Celebi. She might be able to-" All of a sudden, Ash felt himself on the ground, struggling in pain and looked up to see that Suicune was using Psychic.

"I will not ask again," he said warningly.

"Suicune! Stop it!" Celebi said as Pikachu made a quick threat of attacking. However, Ash looked at Suicune with a glare and started getting to his feet, which surprised the legendary Pokemon himself.

"That is enough, Suicune," a voice then said. Suicune suddenly stopped and all of them then saw a bright sphere of fire appear out of nowhere.

"Could it be?" Celebi said.

"Master?" Suicune then said.

"Master?" the group of five said.

"Master Ho-Oh, what are you doing here?" Suicune asked. "The Emperor's spies will find you here-"

"They will not," the voice said. The sphere disappeared in a flash of light, and in its place was a majestic Pokemon, resembling a phoenix. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Ho-Oh," Celebi then said. "Please tell me, are we the only ones left?"

"Yes. Us, Raikou, and Entei are the only ones left," Ho-Oh responded.

"Where are they?" Suicune asked.

"They are safe for now," Ho-Oh said. "They are currently hiding."

"Wait, you mean that Lugia has fallen as well?" Celebi asked.

"I am afraid so," Ho-Oh said. "He was the last of them to have fallen under Sirius. However, the reason I am here is because of them." He then looked to Ash and the others. "You came here seeking for many answers which I can gladly give you."

"But how did you know?" Brock asked.

"I look over many pure-hearted humans," Ho-Oh responded. "With that, I know what you all are thinking. You, Ash, are here because of the loss of a friend of yours."

"Yes, her name is Dawn," Ash said. "I need to find out where she is and if she's okay."

"To answer your second question, yes she is fine," Ho-Oh replied. "But only for now."

"What do you mean?" Piplup asked.

"I know you worry about your trainer," Ho-Oh said. "Which brings me to your first question. She is no longer in this dimension."

"In this dimension?" Pikachu asked. "What does that mean?"

"Sirius, the one you had encountered earlier, years ago discovered a way into another dimension, one that is dark and lonely," Ho-Oh explained. "It is there where Sirius' fortress is, and where Dawn is."

"So how do we get there?" Vulpix asked.

"The legendary Pokemon know how to get there," Ho-Oh explained. "But, it takes a certain process to reach it, which requires all of us."

"The problem is that almost all the legendaries have fallen to Sirius' will," Celebi continued. "Without them, we cannot reach the place."

"Which is why I came to you," Ho-Oh said. "You must accept a challenge that no other human or group of humans would dare take. To find and rescue your friend, you will have to face the seven legendaries and break them out of their bindings to Sirius."

"Master you cannot be serious!" Suicune suddenly said. "Them, going against Lugia or Groudon? They won't last a minute against them. I will go help them."

"And if you lose?" Ho-Oh said. "We are the only ones left who can fight Suicune, and none of us can afford for you to become fallen like them."

"I see, so you rest the world on the shoulders of a couple of amateur trainers?" Suicune said bitterly.

"You only show hatred towards the humans because of what has happened," Ho-Oh said. "Now, take Celebi with you and find a place to hide for the time being."

"But what about you?" Celebi asked.

"I will be fine," Ho-Oh said with a smile. Suicune then reluctantly took off with Celebi on his back. "I am sorry for having to place such a huge task on you," he then said to Ash and Brock. "I had a vision once. I saw a group of humans with their Pokemon take down a great evil and they only accomplished it with the bonds they had together. I can see that you as well have such a bond."

"You mean there are others?" Ash asked.

"Yes," Ho-Oh responded. "I have a feeling you will meet new friends along the way, and together you will all grow and mature to the heroes you are destined to be."

"But, how we take on a Pokemon such as Lugia?" Pikachu asked.

"I will not lie, it will not be easy," Ho-Oh said. "In their present state, the legendaries are in such a rage, causing them to become stronger, which makes it even harder. However, perhaps I should put your skills to the test. Yes, I will challenge your skills to see if you're worthy of such a challenge."

"Are you two willing to do this?" Ash asked both Pikachu and Piplup.

"Absolutely," both of them said.

"You too Vulpix?" Brock asked.

"If I'm being given the opportunity to save the world, I will gladly take it," Vulpix declared.

"We accept your challenge," Pikachu said.

"Good," Ho-Oh said. He then raised his wings and lifted into the air. "Then prepare yourselves!"  


* * *

(A/N: Ah, nothing better than a good cliffhanger. Oh shoot… yeah, this is meant to be a cliffhanger which means we're done with this chapter. Oh I can see the hate reviews now… Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and get ready for some action next time!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	6. Taking It Head On!

(A/N: Okay, since this is going to be a battle against Ho-Oh, it is only appropriate that I play his theme. The name of the song is "Ho-Oh Battle Theme" from Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver.)  


* * *

Chapter 6: Taking It Head On!

*"Prepare yourselves!" Ho-Oh declared, ascending into the air, letting out a cry. "I want you to throw everything you have at me, for I shall do the same!"

"Alright then!" Pikachu declared. "Attack now! Thunderbolt!" The first attack hit Ho-Oh directly.

"BubbleBeam!" Piplup then said, his turn next.

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix said, aiding in the attack.

As expected, Ho-Oh merely shrugged off the attacks. "Very good, very good," Ho-Oh then said. "However, the key to beating a legendary Pokemon is to be able withstand its attacks, which I will demonstrate. Sacred Fire!" The three Pokemon were quickly engulfed in a large ring of fire, and it proved to be a critical attack.

"Ugh, that attack was strong," Piplup said, getting back to his feet.

"He is tough, I will give him that," Vulpix added.

"It will always be like this, but we can't give up," Pikachu said, struggling to get up as well. His mind went to work, thinking of a strategy. _"Ho-Oh is a fire and flying type," _he thought. "That's it!" he then said. "Piplup, let's use our attacks together!"

"Brilliant!" Piplup then said. "BubbleBeam!"

"Thunderbolt!" Pikachu cried out. The two attacks came at once and then went together, making one attack. The attack hit Ho-Oh, and this time, it was seen that he took quite a bit of damage.

"Alright, that is enough," he then said, descending back to the ground. "So, you've seen part of the power every legendary Pokemon holds. The battles you will face will be much harder and longer. However, Pikachu managed to come up with the perfect strategy against myself. It is strategies like that that will give you a fighting chance."

"Wait a minute," Ash then said. "We would be forced to fight, I know, but how will we be able to get them back to their old selves?"

"That I do not know," Ho-Oh said. "There is a chance that wearing the Pokemon out will snap it back to normal. Then again, maybe it won't and you might be forced to kill them."

"And if it comes to that?" Brock asked.

Ho-Oh let out what sounded like a sigh. "Then we can only grieve for them," he said. "And know that such actions had to be done to save our world from darkness. Now, it will be time for you to face Lugia, my brother. He is located in the Orange Islands, along with Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno, although I am not sure what has become of those three. They seemed to have disappeared or gone into hiding."

"Brock, do you know the closest port city in Johto?" Ash asked.

"It would be best to head to Olivine City, which is northwest from here," Brock said.

"Alright, Olivine it is," Ash declared. He then turned back to the legendary Pokemon. "Thank you Ho-Oh for helping us. We will make sure to get all the legendaries back to normal."

Ho-Oh gave a slight nod as the group left. Once they were gone, Ho-Oh then said, "They may be the only ones who can do this. Are they really the Chosen Ones? I can only hope to Arceus that I am right."  


* * *

By the time they had reached Goldenrod City, it had become dark and they all decided to stay at the Pokemon Center for the night, primarily to heal up their Pokemon.

"It was sure a long day," Ash said as he crashed on top of his bed in the room he and Brock were sharing.

"You're telling me," Pikachu said. "I don't think I've ever battled this much before."

"I have a feeling this will only be the beginning for that," Piplup commented.

"Yeah," Brock added. "One legendary is enough, but we're talking about multiple legendaries."

"Perhaps it's better if we think about this in the morning," Vulpix said. "I have a feeling from now on everyday is going to be the same."

After about ten minutes, Ash still found himself awake. "Hey Pikachu," he whispered.

"Yeah?" Pikachu answered. Ash wasn't surprised that his buddy was still awake as well.

"I had been thinking," he then said. "Is it truly possible that we can help save the legendaries?"

"Ho-Oh mentioned others," Pikachu responded. "If there are more with us, then we have a better chance."

"One other thing," Ash then said. "That attack Ho-Oh used. How bad did it injure you?"

"Not as bad as I thought," Pikachu replied. "The others could say the same. Unfortunately, we'll most likely end up getting a bigger dosage than that. But… perhaps it is that that will make us stronger."

It was quiet for a minute or so before Ash then said, "I hope Dawn is okay."

"I'm sure she's fine," Pikachu said. "She's strong for being just a sixteen year old."

"What do you mean?" Ash then asked.

"I could sense it in her," Pikachu replied. "What makes a trainer and their Pokemon unique is the similarities they share. For example, Piplup shares the traits Dawn has: confidence, valiance, and a bit headstrong. But then again, us two aren't so different from them are we?"

"No, I guess not," Ash said, chuckling slightly. His thoughts then returned to Dawn and all of a sudden, he found himself blushing slightly. "Say Pikachu?"

"Ash?" Pikachu replied.

"Um, nevermind," Ash then said. "We better get some sleep."

"Right," Pikachu said as he turned over onto his side, hiding the smile on his face. There was no denying that Pikachu had a really good feeling what was on Ash's mind.  


* * *

Early the next morning, the five of them made their way to Olivine City. Upon reaching the city, they made their way to the port, where the ticket booth was. "Two tickets to the Orange Islands," Ash said.

"Very well," the man in the booth said, handing Ash and Brock their tickets. "The ship will be making multiple stops there, so make sure you get to the right destination."

"So, which island do we head to?" Piplup asked.

"I wonder if maybe we could find Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno," Brock said. "Fire Island, Thunder Island, and Ice Island are right next to each other. It can't be a coincidence."

"Then that's where we'll go," Ash declared. "If we could find at least one of them, then perhaps they can lead us to Lugia."

"If they're not in the same predicament as Lugia," Vulpix added.

Soon, the call was made that the ship was close to departing and they made their way on board. Once it did depart, there was an intercom message from the captain, stating that they would arrive at the Orange Islands in about an hour. "Say Pikachu, Piplup," Ash said with a smile. "Bet you two can't handle the buffet table!"

"You're on!" both Pikachu and Piplup said as all three of them rushed towards the inside of the ship.

Brock just shook his head with a smile on his face. "The three of them just get along so well," he said. Then, he saw a young girl by herself and quickly rushed over to her, taking by the hand. "My dear," he said in a calm, smooth voice. "You are as beautiful as the ocean before us. I would be honored to take you out on a date once we get back home-" All of a sudden he felt pain in his lower back and crumbled to the ground. "Unless Vulpix doesn't approve," he said weakly as Vulpix dragged him away.

Close to an hour had passed and Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup all found themselves groaning in discomfort. "Maybe we shouldn't have rushed it like we did," Ash said.

"Yeah, maybe," Pikachu said.

"I'm not used to eating this much," Piplup groaned. "Maybe this wasn't such the best idea."

Soon, there then came another message from the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen," the captain said. "We are closing in on our destination. However, it seems we will be encountering some rough weather so please remain calm."

Not even a minute after that was said that the boat tilted largely to the left. "Whoa, what the-!?" Ash said as he had to hold on to dear life. However, it only did the same thing again, this time on the right. He then held Pikachu and Piplup close. "Hang on you two," he then said. "We have to go find Brock!"

He then went outside and could instantly hear cries of panic as he saw that the sky had turned black and the waves were enormous. "Ash!" He then looked to his left and saw Brock and Vulpix coming towards them. "We have to get back inside!" Brock said. "It's too dangerous-!" He was then cut short as another large wave came suddenly, knocking them off their feet and into the side cabin.

Then, much to their horror, they saw another wave come, but this was the largest one of them all. One that could take out an entire ship and the people along with it. "Ash," Brock then said. "Listen to me carefully. When the moment comes, make sure to hold your breath, and get to the surface as quickly as possible."

"Got it," Ash said as he pulled Pikachu and Piplup even closer to him.

"Just try to hang on the best you can Vulpix," Brock said as he held her close as well.

"I will," Vulpix said.

Soon the wave came with a crash, engulfing all of them in water. They could feel the ship turning and turning and there was no doubt that the boat would capsize. However, what they didn't expect was the actual force of the wave, which made them hit their heads off the metal, causing them to black out instantly.  


* * *

_Ash soon found himself in a building he did not recognize. It was rather cold, and dark. "Ash!" He then turned around to see Dawn with a smile on her face and she ran towards him. _

"_Dawn?" Ash then said. He was about to go to her but then saw the familiar figure behind here. Before he could warn her, there came an attack, Dark Pulse, hitting Dawn and causing her to fall forward, straight into Ash's arms._

"_I'm sorry Ash," Dawn said, tears in her eyes. "I guess it's too late for me now…"_

"Ash! ASH!" Ash quickly woke up to see Pikachu, Piplup, Brock, and Vulpix looking down at him. "Phew," Brock then said. "What a relief."

"What happened?" Ash asked. "Where are we?"

"Look for yourself," Pikachu said.

Ash got up and looked around. They were indeed on an island, and a large one at that. "Apparently this is Thunder Island," Brock explained. "After the boat capsized, we were knocked unconscious, in the middle of the ocean. Luckily however, Piplup managed to regain consciousness before the rest of us did, happened to see this island, and took us there."

"Thanks Piplup," Ash said with a smile.

"Yep. No need to worry," Piplup said with a smile. However, the smile quickly disappeared once he said the last sentence, immediately making him think of Dawn.

"What about the rest of the people on the ship?" Ash asked.

"I don't know," Brock replied. "There's a good chance that we were the only ones to make it out."

"I guess we should consider ourselves lucky then," Ash said with a sigh. He looked up towards the sky, and saw that it had lightened slightly. "So, if this is Thunder Island, then is it possible that Zapdos might be here?"

"Possibly," Brock said. "Zapdos might be at the peak of the mountain. Unfortunately, we're going to have to climb up there."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, last song of the chapter. This is yet another song by PokeRemixStudio. The name of the song is "Lugia's Song (R 'n B Remix).")  


* * *

*"Well, we better hurry then, since we're stranded here," Pikachu said. Ash and the rest of them nodded and they started their way up the mountain. As they were heading up, the waves were starting to still, but the sky was not getting any brighter.

"This is a strange storm," Brock commented. "It seemed to have come out of nowhere. I wonder if this is perhaps due to the imbalance of the three birds."

"Imbalance?" Piplup asked.

Brock nodded. "I read somewhere how the three birds play a huge role in this area. But the biggest role belongs to Lugia, who is the guardian of this area. With what happened to Lugia, everything here appears to be in disarray."

"So that must be why that storm appeared," Ash said. "Not only is Sirius turning legendaries evil, he's disrupting the balance of nature."

"And if this keeps up, humans won't be the only ones at risk," Vulpix added.

After some time, they finally made it to the peak, or at least very close. It was quiet. Very quiet. "I don't see anything," Piplup said. "Perhaps Zapdos is somewhere else."

"No," Pikachu then said, his cheeks crackling slightly with electricity. "I'm detecting another electric source nearby. He is here. We're being watched."

None of them said a word, and kept their ears open. Pikachu's ears twitched and Brock's instincts suddenly kicked in. "Ash, get down!" he yelled, running towards Ash as a bolt of electricity suddenly towards him!  


* * *

(A/N: And the cliffhangers continue. I'm so horrible, so evil. Anyway, I'll pay $10 million to the person who can guess just who that was. Actually, I was kidding, since it was too obvious. Um… anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and get ready for the first major battle next chapter!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	7. Lugia

(A/N: Okay, here's the first battle that will be taking place. The song I have here is called "On The Verge Of The Assault" from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. This is, more or less, supposed to be the main theme of the story.)  


* * *

Chapter 7: Lugia

Ash was suddenly pushed backwards as the attack and was knocked to the ground. Once he got up, he saw that Pikachu had taken the attack and was still being electrocuted. "Pikachu!" Ash cried out, running towards him.

"Ash no!" Brock yelled, grabbing a hold of him. "It's too dangerous!"

Suddenly, a voice boomed out across the entire island. "How dare you come and trespass on this island!?" Then, from the sky, came a majestic bird, its yellow feathers matching the electricity that it was shooting.

"Zapdos!" all of them cried out.

"It wasn't enough for you humans to cause the damage that was done, was it?" Zapdos then said angrily. He then looked at the Pikachu still taking the attack, and was surprised to see the Pokemon was still resisting it. "You are strong," he then complimented. "But why side with the humans?"

"We… are not… your enemies," Pikachu said through gritted teeth.

"Please Zapdos, we are not here to cause trouble!" Ash said.

"We have to find and help Lugia," Brock said.

"Lies!" Zapdos screeched. Finally, he let Pikachu go. "The last time we had let a human through here, it was at the cost of losing Lugia, *so if you even think that I will let you through, you are sadly mistaken!"

It was at this point that it was pointless trying to convince the Pokemon otherwise and would have to knock some sense into him. "Pikachu, are you ready for this?" Ash asked.

Pikachu nodded. He then looked to Piplup and Vulpix, who each gave him a nod as well. "Alright Zapdos, then you give each of us no choice," Pikachu then said. "Thunderbolt!"

"BubbleBeam!" Piplup cried out, shooting a volley of bubbles at the electric-type.

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix exclaimed, shooting out a straight line of fire.

The attacks hit Zapdos, and while it did not injure him too much, the power alone surprised him slightly. "So, you will fight to the death then?" Zapdos said. "Very well, but it will be the last mistake you will ever choose! Thunder!" The attack came from above, as bolts of electricity came down and hit them, injuring them (Pikachu the least amount).

"Ugh, I have to get used to this quick," Piplup complained after they got up.

"I don't want to hurt you Zapdos, but you've got to get it through your brain what we're trying to tell you," Pikachu said. He knew he to save what energy he had to face Lugia, as well as the others if they got to him. He then started running towards Zapdos. "Volt Tackle!" Charging up energy, he charged at Zapdos, making contact and the surprised look in the bird's eyes told Pikachu he had dealt some damage before jumping back.

"You insolent little pest!" Zapdos cried out angrily. "You dare to attack a legendary bird such as I in such a way? Very well, I had given you a chance before, but now it is too late! Your fates have been decided! Shock Wave!" Zapdos then sent out a large wave of blue electricity straight at them.

However, suddenly, two attacks came to deflect the attack, one a fire-type, and the other an ice-type. "That's enough, Zapdos!" Suddenly, there were two other birds standing Zapdos and the others.

"Moltres!? Articuno!?" Zapdos said, who appeared outraged. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"We could ask you the same thing," Moltres said calmly.

"Attacking humans and their Pokemon?" Articuno asked. "That's very unlike you, or for us in general."

"These _humans and their Pokemon_ are trespassing!" Zapdos said angrily. "They can't be trusted!"

"Well, they've obviously told you why they're here," Moltres said. "And it's to help Lugia."

While Zapdos could've kept arguing his point, he grunted frustratingly and let out a sigh of defeat. "Very well."

"Please, forgive us for the somewhat hostile entrance," Articuno said to Ash and the others. "You _are _here to help Lugia, correct?"

"Yes," Ash then said. "Ho-Oh gave us the task of helping to free the other legendaries from Sirius."

"Ho-Oh?" Moltres said. "So he has not been caught yet. This is good to hear."

"We have been hiding, mostly for our lives," Zapdos said. "It seemed we were the last to not be captured, so we had no choice but to flee."

"To be honest, you could blame us for the predicament Lugia is in," Articuno said sadly. "If we had known what that man, Sirius, wanted to do, then perhaps we could've prevented such a thing from happening."

"Don't blame yourselves," Piplup said kindly. "Sirius could've done the same to you what he did to Lugia. If you think about it, it's probably fortunate that you're still on our side."

"What needs to be done now is have all the remaining legendaries help and work together and we will free everyone else," Vulpix said.

"They are right," Brock said. "Will you three help us?"

The three birds then looked to one another. "We will," Moltres said. "I do not know if your Pokemon alone can defeat Lugia. We have just met all of you, but we can see that your hearts speak truly with what you say."

"Besides," Articuno said. "It will be our way to make up for what happened."

"Lugia should be located near the Whirl Islands," Zapdos said. "We must hurry. Here, get on my back."

Without hesitation, the group got onto Zapdos' back. He was a large Pokemon, and could therefore hold a good amount of weight. After that, the three birds took to the air and headed towards the Whirl Islands, which were not far off from the Orange Islands.

"Hey Zapdos?" Pikachu then asked.

"Yes?" Zapdos replied.

"I hope that there are no hard feelings between us," Pikachu said. "I mean with before."

Zapdos then actually smiled and they all could hear what sounded like a chuckle. "There is none," he said. "It was my assumption that caused what happened in the first place. But what matters right now is that we try to get Lugia back to us."

While this was going on, Ash and Brock were talking about what strategy they could use against Lugia. "Lugia is a dual Psychic and Flying-type," Brock said.

"Which means Lugia is weak to Ice and Electric moves," Ash said. It was a good thing the legendary birds were here to help.

"Even with them, Lugia will most likely be difficult to beat," Brock said. He then raised a hand to his chin in thought. "Perhaps if we were able to knock out Lugia, then maybe it will return to normal."

"Let's just hope that," Ash replied.

Once they finally reached the islands, Zapdos and the others landed on the first island they saw. "Lugia normally spends his time under the ocean," Articuno said. "He always believed it was best so that no sort of destruction would befall on the surface. I don't know what he is thinking now…"

"Now we wait," Moltres said. "It won't be long before Lugia notices our presence."

As they could've probably guessed, it wouldn't be long before they heard a great voice. "Who dares enter my domain?"

"Yeah, that sounds like him," Piplup said.  


* * *

(A/N: Ah, Lugia's song. Probably one of the best compositions you could ever hear from the Pokemon series. Except of course, this is a remixed version, which still sounds awesome! Anyway, the name of the song is "Lugia Theme Remix" by C-Storm. You should be able to find it on YouTube. It's pretty awesome.)  


* * *

*There was a slight rumble and straight out of the ocean came Lugia, but he did not look the same as he was once before. A dark aura appeared around him and his piercing eyes were now slightly red. "You have trespassed onto my islands," Lugia said. "Including you three." He was looking at the three birds.

"Lugia, listen to us!" Articuno said. "You are being manipulated by the Pokemon Emperor! He's only using you for his evil deeds! You are not an evil Pokemon. I beg you, try to snap out of it!

"You fools!" Lugia boomed angrily. "I only do what the Emperor asks me to do. And if you wish to go against him, then you shall suffer my wrath!"

"Well, so much for that idea…" Zapdos muttered.

"Then you leave us no choice Lugia," Moltres said. "Heat Wave!" Moltres let out a huge flurry of flames straight at Lugia.

"Ice Beam!" Articuno cried out, letting out multiple beam of ice.

"Zapdos!" Pikachu quickly said. Zapdos looked to him and knew immediately what he was thinking.

"Thunderbolt!" they both said, unleashing their electricity.

"Hey! You're not keeping us out!" Piplup said. "Whirlpool!"

"Fire Spin!" Vulpix said, unleashing a spiraling inferno.

The attacks all hit on contact, but once the smoke from the attacks cleared, Lugia was still standing, with a smirk on his face. "Is that the best you can give me?" he said. "I will give you a taste of _true _power. Extrasensory!" He then sent the attack straight at them, knocking all of them back. However, the three legendary birds got it the worst.

"Articuno! Zapdos!" Moltres cried out. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Articuno said.

"Never better," Zapdos added.

"Pikachu, Piplup, Vulpix," Ash said. "Are you three alright?"

"Yes," Pikachu replied.

"The three birds took most of the damage for us," Piplup said.

"There has to be a way of beating Lugia," Brock said, thinking quickly. Then, it quickly came to him/ "Of course! Moltres, Piplup, and Vulpix, I need you three only to attack first! I have an idea!"

"Very well," Moltres said. "Overheat!"

"BubbleBeam!" Piplup attacked next.

"Fire Blast!" Vulpix attacked straight after. The attacks did not do as much damage, but it was working out in Brock's favor.

"Now the rest of you!" Brock said.

"Blizzard!" Articuno cried out.

"Thunder!" both Pikachu and Zapdos cried. The attacks hit Lugia and this time, Lugia let out a cry of pain as the damage dealt was more than before.

"Yes!" Brock said, pumping a fist in the air. The first wave of attacks was meant to take down Lugia's defenses, allowing the second to cause more damage. Almost like a one-two punch.

Lugia growled in annoyance. "I have had just about enough of your silly antics," he said. "It is time to end this once and for all."

"Oh no!" Zapdos said as Lugia began storing up energy for its signature move. "Pikachu, we have only one shot at this since we're the best matched up. We have to use what energy we have to stop that attack or else we're all done for!"

"Got it!" Pikachu said. He then jumped onto Zapdos' back.

"When I give the word, use everything you've got," Zapdos said.

Once Lugia was finally done, he then screamed "Aeroblast!" and shot the deadly beam of energy straight at them.

"Now!" Zapdos said and both of them sent a Thunderbolt attack, combining together to counter the other attack. It quickly became a struggle as both sides were pushing back and forth. Suddenly, with an almost new burst of energy, Pikachu sent more towards the attack, causing them to gain the advantage quickly.

"What!?" Lugia said but it was the last he said before getting his both attacks combined and with a groan quickly fell to the ground, crumbling in defeat.

"Alright Pikachu!" Ash said happily as he went up to his friend and gave him a hug, making sure not to hug too tightly since Pikachu was worn out. Brock just smiled while petting Vulpix behind the ears as he watched Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup laughing with one another.

However, the three legendary birds were not as joyful. "Such a cruel fate has befallen on most of our brethren," Moltres said, looking to Lugia, who was still breathing deeply. "To have to fight them to bring them back is something I could not handle myself with."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, last song of the chapter and will pretty much close the chapter. The song here is "Lugia's Song" from Pokemon 2000: The Power of One.)  


* * *

*Soon, the dark aura around Lugia disappeared and the legendary Pokemon let out another groan. He then opened his eyes and they were back to normal. "Where… what happened?" He then looked to the three birds. "Moltres, Articuno, Zapdos; you are here."

"It is good to see you back Lugia," Articuno said. "A terrible thing had come upon you."

"I know," Lugia said. "It was because I underestimated the power Sirius had. How one has such power, I still do not understand. But I thank you for saving me."

"It wasn't just us," Zapdos said. He then looked to Ash, Brock, and their Pokemon. "These five brave souls helped save you as well."

"I see," Lugia said, looking to Ash. "And what are your names."

"My name is Ash, from Pallet Town," Ash said. "And this is my partner Pikachu."

"And my name is Brock, from Pewter City," Brock added.

"Then I must thank you all as well," Lugia said with a smile. "I would not have expected any humans to do such a heroic thing. You have my thanks."

"Lugia, what about the others?" Articuno asked.

Lugia then sighed. "The rest have been turned as well," he said. "I was in fact the last of them to turn. This battle may have been won, but the war is just beginning. Ash, do you plan on helping out the other legendaries as well?"

"Yes," Ash said with a nod. "I lost a friend dear to me and all of you are the only ones who can help."

"Indeed," Lugia said. "Very well. It is time for all of you to head to the Hoenn region, where Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza reside. They are very powerful, but they can be saved. I wish to take you there, but I need to recover from this "battle" I had."

"I will take them," Zapdos then said.

"By yourself?" Articuno asked.

"I'll be fine," Zapdos said with a smile. "I'm too quick for most Pokemon."

"Then it is settled," Lugia said. "Zapdos will take you to the Hoenn region."

"Hurry, it is best to get there before nightfall," Zapdos said. They then got onto Zapdos' back.

"Lugia," Ash then said. "Will we see you again?"

Lugia smiled in return. "It is very possible," he said. "Farewell for now, my newest friends." And with that, Zapdos took to the air.

"See you Lugia, Articuno, and Moltres!" Ash and the others called to them as they took off. Zapdos sailed high into the air, the cool breeze rippling his feathers. Soon they flew over land, and saw that it was Johto.

"_I just hope Ho-Oh and the others are safe," _Ash thought to himself.

Soon, they finally reached what appeared to be the Hoenn region and Zapdos landed in a small open area. "One of the nearby cities should be close by," Zapdos said as they got off of him. "You will want to head to Mt. Pyre, Shoal Cave, and Sky Pillar to find Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza, respectively."

"Thanks a lot Zapdos," Pikachu said.

"Wait," Zapdos then said. He stuck out his one wing and with his beak pulled out one of his feathers. "Take this," he said, giving it to Ash.

"What is this for?" Ash said, looking at the golden feather.

"Keep it as a token of our friendship," Zapdos said. "And to remind you of how much you helped us with Lugia."

"I'll make sure to look after it," Ash said with a nod.

"Good," Zapdos said. He then opened his wings and took to the air. "It is time for me to head back to the islands. We will see each other again soon, most likely." And with that, he was gone.

Ash then looked to Brock and then to all the others. "Well, it's time we head to this city before it gets dark," he said, and the five of them made their way towards the closest city, beginning their journey in Hoenn.  


* * *

(A/N: And that will end the chapter here. I hope I did better with the Lugia battle this time. Battles tend to be a weak point for me. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and stay tuned for more coming soon!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	8. The Princess of Hoenn

(A/N: Okay, for this part here, I'll be using the song "Residents" from Final Fantasy VIII. To me, it sounds kind of humorous and you'll find out soon enough why I used it.)

* * *

Chapter 8: The Princess of Hoenn

Traveling east along Route 102, the group was making their way towards Petalburg City. "So, now we just have to find Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza, right?" Ash asked.

"Let's see…" Brock said. "Groudon is a ground-type. Kyogre is a water-type, and Rayquaza is a dual dragon and flying-type."

"Sounds like these won't be easy fights," Piplup said.

"Wait a minute," Pikachu then said. "I remember Ho-Oh mentioning something about how we would get some help along the way."

"You're right," Ash said. "And now that I think about it, we're going to need someone who knows this region pretty well."

*Soon, they finally reached Petalburg City. "Alright, we better get some supplies and make sure everyone is healed up before we head out," Brock said.

"Good idea," Ash replied. "We'll head to the Pokemon Center first."

Once they arrived there, they weren't expecting what was about to happen next. The second the doors opened, they could instantly hear and see two people arguing. One was a girl close to Ash's age, who was wearing a red shirt with a red bandana on her head to compliment it and a white miniskirt with black bicycle shorts under it, and the other was a boy who looked around nine. "Aw come on May, why can't I borrow Blaziken to help myself get a Pokemon?" the boy asked.

"Well Max, one, Blaziken needs to heal up from the battle he had against Dad's Slaking," the girl, May, said heatedly. "Two, you're supposed to get one yourself, and three, YOU'RE NOT EVEN OLD ENOUGH!"

"Oh yeah?" the boy, Max, said. "Well Dad got Blaziken as a Torchic right before _your _birthday and you weren't complaining about that then!"

"You shut your mouth!" May snapped back at him.

"Man, good thing I have no siblings," Ash whispered.

"I know the feeling," Brock replied.

Soon May and Max noticed they were being watched and then both blushed in embarrassment. "Um, sorry about that," May then said. "My brother and I tend to get into arguments."

"Yeah, and she usually starts them," Max said.

May would've hit him but decided against it. "Anyway, my name is May and this is my brother Max," she then said.

"My name is Ash, from Pallet Town," Ash said. "And this is Pikachu and Piplup."

"Hello," Pikachu said.

"A pleasure," Piplup added.

"And I'm Brock from Pewter City," Brock said.

"Oh wow, so you're both from Kanto," May said. "I thought you two looked a little different. Anyway…" She then turned to her Pokemon who was coming out of the other room. "This is my Pokemon Blaziken."

"Wow, a Blaziken," Ash said.

"You look big enough to be her bodyguard," Piplup commented.

"Naturally," Blaziken said, nodding. "I would give anything to protect May, and all those who support her."

"Aw Blaziken!" May said, giving him a hug. "You're always too protective, but that's alright. So, what are all you doing out here in Hoenn?"

Ash and Brock looked to each other. Could they really tell them what they had to do? "Well, we're actually looking to find Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza," Ash said.

"Whoa, you're taking on a legendary!?" Max said. "That's so cool!"

"That's why you're here?" May asked. She then smiled. "Well, that does sound like fun. I'll tell you what. I'll come with you guys as well, since I'm always looking forward to adventure! Besides, you need someone who knows the area well, don't you?"

"She's good," Vulpix commented.

"Yeah, sounds like we're going to need you," Ash said.

"Wait, can I go?" Max asked.

"Oh no," May said, turning to him. "You don't even have a Pokemon and I don't feel like dragging you around. Sorry bro, but you'll have to stay here. Besides, you'll have to explain to Mom and Dad where I went."

"I guess…" Max said.

"So yeah, I can go with you two," May said. "On one condition though…"

"What's that?" Brock asked.

"Ash, I challenge you to a food-eating contest!" May declared.

"Excuse me?" Ash asked.

"Yeah I know, where does it all go?" Max said, grinning. "Personally it all goes to her butt-" He immediately got whacked.

"What I was _going _to say was that I happen to be a champ when it comes to eating," May said with a smile.

"Same here," Ash said, smiling back. "With my mom's cooking, I was born ready for something like this."

"Very well, follow me then," May then said, going outside. They then headed to one of the restaurants in the city, which happened to be a noodle place.

"Miss May, it's good to see you again," the host greeted them once they got inside. "Will it be the usual?"

"Not this time," May replied with a smile. "I have someone who's going to be taking me on in a challenge."

"Oh," the host said, who seemed amused by this. "Then I shall let everyone know then." With that, he showed them to a table and left to let the rest of the staff know what was going on.

"Let me tell you Ash, taking on my sister is never a good idea," Max said. "She's taken on and beaten twenty different people, even people older than her."

"And I'm going for number twenty-one," May said with a wink.

"I still don't get how someone her age is capable of doing that," Piplup whispered.

"Me neither," Pikachu whispered back. "But then again, I could ask the same for Ash as well."

"So Ash, you still willing to do this?" May said with a smirk. It was obvious that she was confident. "Might be a little bit harder to go around Hoenn, but you'll make your way eventually."

"Oh, I'm not backing off," Ash said, smiling back. "You'll see soon enough what I'm capable of."

Soon, some of the waiters and waitresses brought out bowls upon bowls of noodles. It seems the place was used to May having her little contests. Once the bowls were placed out, the host then said, "Alright, the first one to stop eating and/or throw up is disqualified! You may now begin!"

And so it began, with both trainers already starting to chow down on the noodles in front of them. "This should be interesting," Brock commented. It seemed like they were going at the same speed since both of them finished their bowls and moved on to the next one.

Five minutes passed, and May looked over to her rival. "Wow Ash, you're better than I thought," she commented. "But it still won't be enough to beat me."

"We'll see about that, May," Ash said back. Another five minutes passed and both of them had started to slow down, as it was apparent that their stomachs were getting, but neither was willing to give up yet.

"_How can he still be going!?" _May thought. _"I've beaten so many people older than me before this. But I can't lose, I WON'T LOSE!" _All of a sudden, she was starting to feel nausea in her stomach and her face turned a shade of green. "Oh no." Before she knew it, she was over the trash can, puking her guts out.

"This contest is now over!" the host declared. "We have ourselves a new champion. Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!"

There was complete shock, but no one had to be more shocked than Max and May herself. "I don't believe it," Max said. "My sister lost…"

"May, are you alright?" Ash said, going up next to her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

May then sat back down onto the chair. "I'm fine… at least now I am," she said. She then looked to Ash and saw that her attitude had changed slightly. "Ash, I can't believe you actually beat me. No one's ever been able to do that."

"Nah, I probably just got lucky," Ash said, laughing slightly and being modest. "Does that mean you're coming with us now?"

May then smiled and giggled. "Yes, I feel I should go with the promise I made," she said. "Yes, I'll be coming with you."

"Glad to hear it," Ash said. "So, is there anything you'll need to get?"

"Hmm," May said. "Pokeblock, Badge Case, etcetera etcetera… no, I think I'm good to go already."

"So you really are leaving?" Max asked.

"Yeah," she said, ruffling his hair. "But hey, I'll be back before you know it. Besides, your birthday is coming up soon right?"

"Yeah?" Max replied.

May winked at him. "Then maybe I could bring back something for it, if you know what I mean."

Max's eyes soon lit up. "Really? Thanks sis!" He then gave her a hug. "You're the best!"

"Now remember," May then said. "Make sure to tell Mom and Dad where I went, or else my return home won't be so pleasant."

"Got it," Max said. "See ya May. It was nice meeting you Ash and Brock." And with that, he left to return back home.

"So where to first?" Ash asked.

"Let's see…" May said, taking out a map of Hoenn. "Well, luckily for us, Mt. Pyre, Shoal Cave, and Sky Pillar are practically right next to one another, so it wouldn't quite matter which one we went to first, but the bad news is that they're on the other side of Hoenn, which means it'll be a long trip."

"That's alright," Brock said. "As long as we get a good amount of walking each day, it should only take a couple of days tops."

"Good," Ash said. "Guess we could always hit Mt. Pyre first. How about you guys?"

"Sounds good to me," Pikachu said.

"Groudon won't be able to take me down!" Piplup declared.

"Not a problem for me," Vulpix said.

"So, shall we make our way now?" Ash asked.

"Might as well," May said. She then looked to the time. "We have about five hours of walking time before it gets dark. We should be able to reach Slateport City by that time and that's where we can rest for the night."

"Sounds good," Ash said. "Alright, well, we better make a move on it while the sun's still out!" And soon they left the Pokemon after all their Pokemon were healed. While May didn't show it, she had some things on her mind, and they revolved around Ash. Of course, she saw Ash as a rival when it came to food-eating, but she felt something else, and she then felt her face turn slightly red in embarrassment.

* * *

(A/N: Yay we finally got to meet May! Hmm… I wonder what that last sentence could possibly mean. Now, before you say anything, I'm a Pearlshipper and Contestshipper, so what could that possibly mean to you? Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and next chapter will begin the journey to Mt. Pyre!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	9. A Familiar Face

(A/N: Okay, this meant for a flashback scene and the name of the song is "Turk's Theme" from Final Fantasy VII. I guess in a way you could say this is a theme for Sirius. By the way, I made a mistake in the last chapter. Instead of Mauville City, the group is going to Slateport City and don't worry I'm changing that one part in the previous chapter.)  


* * *

Chapter 9: A Familiar Face

A world covered in darkness. That's what it practically was. There was no life when it came to plants or other such things. Only ground, and on that ground stood a mighty fortress, black as the sky around it. This was where Sirius, as well as his many followers, resided in the background.

Inside, Sirius was sitting on his chair in deep thought. The pieces were in place. All he had to do now was wait until the time was right, and then victory would finally be his.

Suddenly, a portal appeared and one of his loyal minions, a Linoone, appeared. "My Lord Sirius," he said, taking a bow. "I have some bad news. Lugia has been defeated and regained who he was."

Sirius wasn't too surprised by this. "Can you tell me who defeated him?" he asked.

"It was some boy and his friend," the Pokemon said. "He had a Pikachu with him."

That boy again. Figures he of all people would be responsible, although Sirius how it was possible. "It matters not," he then said. "Lugia had not yet become accustomed to the darkness he had. The others will be much more difficult to defeat."

"Of course my Lord," the Linoone said, bowing. "I will take my leave." And with that, he disappeared in a flash, leaving Lord Sirius back in thought once again.

It was obvious. The only reason the boy and his Pikachu would be doing such a thing was because of the girl. He had almost forgotten about her. But even if he did try to save her, there's no way he could make it in time. She would probably be dead by then. But then again, it didn't matter if she did, because that was part of the goal, to eliminate all humans and provide the Pokemon with a new world, without suffering and cruelty.

He smiled slightly. He remembered those who doubted him, those he called his "friends." He had tried to reason with them, but he was on his own now. Still… he could think back to the time when he actually knew the people he considered his friends.

*Flashback*

_Five years ago…_

_*"Thane, I need to speak with you," Sirius said._

"_What, is this another one of your rants?" Caix said, while smirking at him slightly._

"_Bite your tongue Caix," Sirius snapped at him._

"_What is it Sirius?" Thane asked._

"_I've come up with a plan," Sirius continued. "With a way we can finally rid of these humans and take this world for ourselves."_

_Caix just groaned, but Thane gave him a look. "Very well then," he then said._

"_It's actually quite simple if you think about it," Sirius said. "I believe the best way to do this if we can get all the legendaries on our side. Think about it. The legendaries play a huge role in this world, as well as for the humans. If we can somehow manipulate them and have them on our side, then nothing could stop us."_

"_Okay, and you think we can just take on any legendary we see fit?" Caix commented. "That sounds like the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Sirius just glared at him._

"_That's enough Caix," Thane said. "While it is a good plan, I think we should hold off for now."_

"_Hold off?" Sirius said. "But now's the best chance! No one would suspect we were up to something!"_

"_Talk to the others," Thane said. "Let them voice their opinion on the matter. And if a majority agree, we will take it into consideration."_

"_Ha, good luck with that," Caix said, sneering. "Maybe you might be able to convince Daix and Rainx possibly, knowing how they are. But I doubt it with Ven, Drex, and Lucia, seeing as they're close friends and all…"_

"_Very well," Sirius said. "I'll see what I can do about it."_

As he probably would've expected, it all fell through. Everyone was practically against the idea, seeing as it seemed like suicide. Well, who was the one laughing now…? He was the one who had done all this, he was the one who established all of this. By himself. It took him this long, but he was able to do what he dreamed about along with the others. Who knows, maybe the others in the organization would come back and beg him to have them join them… He might consider… depending on how things are.

However, soon his thoughts returned to the present. The boy and his friends would most likely be in Hoenn by now. "Terra, Cruix," he then said.

Two Pokemon soon appeared before him. Terra and Cruix, the former Poochyena and Houndour, respectively, who tracked down the traitor before, had now evolved into Mightyena and Houndoom. "Yes my lord?" Terra said.

"I think maybe you could recall a certain human and his Pikachu?" Sirius then said.

Both of them started growling and bared their fangs. "Indeed we can," Cruix said.

"Good," Sirius said. "As of right now, they are in Hoenn. I think you know what needs to be done. And one other thing… make sure you get the job done for once."

Both of them flinched, knowing the meaning behind those words. In other words, if they failed, don't even bother coming back…  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, so I decided to put this into the story as well. It's a song by GRonnoc and it's called "Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Symphonic Score - Routes 101, 102, 103.")  


* * *

*"So May, what do you plan on doing in the future?" Ash asked her as they continued their way on Route 103.

"Well, hopefully I'll become the greatest Pokemon Coordinator in the world!" May said smiling as she raised a fist into the air.

"Pokemon Coordinator?" Ash asked.

"Ash doesn't usually watch that channel," Pikachu said to May. "It's more of the real Pokemon battles."

"Coordinators are trainers who train their Pokemon for contest battles," Brock explained. "If I remember right, there's an appeals round and whoever makes it past that battles against each other until the last trainer is standing."

"Mhm," May said, nodding. She then took out a case and opened it, revealing three ribbons. "I only need two more and then I can compete in the Hoenn Grand Festival."

"Hmm…" Piplup then said.

"What is it Piplup?" Pikachu asked.

"Well, Dawn is actually a Coordinator herself," Piplup explained. "She never got to tell you that, but up until now she won two ribbons in Sinnoh."

"Dawn? Who is that?" May asked. Ash and Brock soon looked to each other, and decided now was the time to fill her in.

"Well, this might be a bit hard to explain," Ash started. "You see, Dawn is a friend of mine who's from Sinnoh but I met her in Kanto. Anyway, we were heading through Viridian Forest before we came across an innocent Pokemon being attacked. Then, this person named Sirius came along and attacked Dawn and she disappeared."

To their surprise, May looked horrified. "Oh my God that's terrible!" she said. "She's not…?"

"She's still alive," Brock said. "But, there's a reason we're looking for Groudon and the others."

"Sirius, also known as the Pokemon Emperor, has all the legendaries under his control," Pikachu said. "Or at least most of them."

"That explains the recent earthquakes we've been having," Blaziken said.

"See, I am Dawn's Pokemon," Piplup said. "And all I know is that we have to save her!"

"I guess I should've figured you were going to need someone who knew this region," May said with a smile. However, inside she was feeling terrible. _"Dawn, whoever this girl is, Ash must like her a lot," _she thought. _"I don't want to interfere with that. I shouldn't… just in case." _"Well, I'm always willing to help!"

"Really? You mean it?" Ash asked.

"Of course," May replied. "Since we're friends now, that makes Dawn a friend as well."

It was starting to get late but luckily they had managed to reach Slateport City. "It's best we get ourselves a room for the night," Brock suggested.

"Yeah," May replied. "Hey, I'll meet you guys inside the hotel alright? I'm just gonna do some walking around."

"Alright," Ash said as the others headed towards the hotel.

May turned around and saw Blaziken was still behind her. She smiled slightly. "You too Blaziken," she said.

"May?" he said.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," May reassuringly. Blaziken nodded and followed the others. As May started walking, a plan was coming into her head. By either tomorrow morning or afternoon, they would head straight to Mt. Pyre. The trip itself wouldn't take long, it would depend on when they got to the mountain.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, last song of the chapter. The name of this song is "A Face Unforgotten" from Final Fantasy IX.)  


* * *

*All of a sudden, she ran into someone and was knocked down with an "Oof!" as she heard someone say the same. She looked to who she ran into and her eyes widened as she recognized the person. "Drew!?"

Indeed, it was Drew and he got to his feet as his Absol stood behind him. "Hey May, long time no see," Drew said as he brushed himself off.

May blushed slightly, still surprised to see him of all people. However, she then turned around and crossed her arms as displeasure crossed her face. "What are you doing here?" she said.

"You're still upset at me I see," Drew said. "Well, I just happened to come down here to see some friends of mine." However, May did not turn around and he then sighed. "May, don't you think this has gone on far enough?"

"Far enough!?" May quickly snapped at him, turning around. "You think I can forgive you for what you did!?"

"May, I told you it was a misunderstanding!" Drew said, getting annoyed. "Why do you keep thinking it's my fault?"

"Because you know what happened when she came up to you!" May said back.

Drew just sighed again. "May, she's just a friend I knew from childhood alright? Look, can't we just forget about this and be together like old times?"

"I just can't do that right now Drew," May said.

Now it was time for Drew to scoff. "Oh why, did you already find yourself a new boyfriend?"

"Maybe I have!" May said. It wasn't like her to lie about it, and she knew Ash's situation, but maybe it would make Drew feel bad. "In fact, I was just about to go see him!"

"Whatever," Drew said, turning around. "Come on Absol, I know when we're not wanted." He then started walking away, but Absol stayed for a couple seconds giving May a look. It wasn't a look of anger, more of a look of sadness and sympathy, because maybe he knew how she felt. Soon, he turned around and followed his trainer.

As soon as they were gone, May could feel the tears forming and streaming down her face. Now she felt horrible for what she said. Maybe Drew had been right when he said she overreacted. Of course, she wanted to cry out his name and say she was sorry, but she just couldn't do it. She all of a sudden felt like a little girl again, and it somewhat annoyed her, mostly because she knew she still loved him.

She then wiped her tears away and regained her composure before going back. The last thing the others needed to see was May, _who was always so confident_, breaking down…  


* * *

(A/N: And that will end this chapter. So we got introduced to Drew, and don't think I'm making him a jerk in this. You'll find out what exactly happened between those two soon enough. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember, everyday is single awareness day for a single person.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	10. Taking On Mt Pyre

Chapter 10: Taking on Mt. Pyre

The next day, the group was getting geared up to face Groudon in the Pokemon Center. "Groudon is a ground-type," Ash thought out loud. "Which means he'll be weak against water."

"Which means I'm going to play a large part in all this," Piplup said confidently.

"Which also means we gotta keep you standing and fighting," Pikachu said.

"Hehe, good point," Piplup said.

Soon, the doors opened up and May came running in with Blaziken following her from behind. "Okay, I got the tickets!" she said.

"They actually have liners that go out to Mt. Pyre?" Ash asked.

"One liner actually," May said. "And it goes out only one time and comes back at one time. We were lucky enough to get these tickets since they are in limited quantity."

"Strange that even now they would still offer trips there of all places," Brock commented.

"It is because no one really knows what is truly going on," Blaziken said. "People observe these disasters as natural."

"It is true, we may be the only ones who know what _really _is going on," May added. "And if that proves to be wrong, then they aren't saying anything. Telling would most likely cause chaos. Anyway, the ship is leaving around eleven, so we have some time to eat breakfast."

They soon got breakfast and started chatting some more, trying to get know each other better. "Say May, do you have any friends here in Hoenn?" Ash asked.

"Umm…" May said. She could almost feel herself blushing as her thoughts returned to Drew. She couldn't tell them about him yet. It was just look so bad. "Well, I don't know many people in Petalburg City," May continued. "I mostly just spend time with my family or go out and do Pokemon Contests."

"So right now you're taking a break?" Brock asked.

"You could say that," May said. "The next contest isn't for about another month or two. But it greatly helps me train Blaziken new techniques. What about you Ash? What do you and Pikachu do?"

"Well, Pikachu and I train a ton," Ash said, looking to his buddy. "But, we're not quite sure what to do yet."

"We still have plenty of time to decide," Pikachu said.

"And you Brock? You want to be a Pokemon Breeder?" May asked.

"Yeah," Brock said. "Taking care of Pokemon and raising them seems more of my thing than being a gym leader."

"That reminds me," Ash said. "Who's taking over the Pewter City Gym for you?"

"My parents," Brock replied. "My dad had been gone awhile and the responsibility had fallen on me. But, eventually my dad came back and it was that moment I decided to fulfill my dream."

"I know the feeling," May said. "My dad is the gym leader of Petalburg City, so I'm rather well known even if I wasn't a Coordinator." She then finally looked at Piplup. "And it sounds like you're quite the fighter yourself, Piplup."

"Aw, I don't know," Piplup said, blushing slightly. "Dawn tells me that all the time, but it'll be awhile before I become stronger."

"You can always evolve you know," Ash suggested.

Piplup then frowned. "I don't think… I want to do that."

"But why not?" May asked. "Evolving is one of the best ways to get stronger." She then looked to Blaziken. "Blaziken here is a prime example."

"I know that," Piplup said. "I just… worry that if I evolve I won't be the same Pokemon anymore. I don't want that to happen with Dawn."

"I understand," Ash said. "You just want to keep being yourself, and not change. Sounds a lot like Pikachu, since he doesn't want to evolve."

"It's because I think I can be the best and strong even if I'm not Raichu," Pikachu stated.

"What about you Vulpix?" Brock asked with a smile. "Don't you want to evolve into a Ninetales in the future?"

"Perhaps," Vulpix said. "Depending if you find a Fire Stone, that is."

"You know, you all have a point," May said. She then looked at her watch again, seeing it was now ten. "We better get going," she then said. "The liners fill up quickly and like to leave right on the dot."  


* * *

An hour later, the three of them and their Pokemon found themselves on the liner heading towards Mt. Pyre. "Thank you for choosing _Rising Sun _Liners," a voice on the intercom said. "We shall be reaching Mt. Pyre in ETA forty-five minutes."

"So what do people do when they reach the mountain?" Ash asked.

"Well, most people to either attempt climbing it or go exploring inside of it," May replied. "But unlike them, we're going underground."

"Underground!?" both Ash and Brock said.

"Well yeah," May said, a confused look on her face. "Groudon is seen as a deity of the Earth, and is said be responsible for the earthquakes we may have, which actually have been more constant than usual."

"And let me guess, Kyogre is the deity of the oceans?" Brock said.

"Yeah," May said. She put a finger to her chin in thought. "I remember Professor Birch telling me years ago how centuries ago Groudon and Kyogre fought for dominance of the Earth. For years, the Earth shifted from having mostly land to mostly water, and vice versa."

"But what happened then?" Pikachu asked.

"Eventually the fighting stopped," May continued. "Most likely due to Rayquaza's intervention. Since Rayquaza most of the time lives up in space, it had to take a lot to get his attention."

"Wow, a Pokemon that loves in space," Piplup said, amazed by the thought. "I wonder how he survives without oxygen…"

"So once we get down there and find Groudon, how are we going to be able to stop him?" Ash asked.

"I don't know, I thought you two would have a plan," May said. "I mean, you were able to defeat Lugia before, so I'm sure you could come up with a similar plan."

Ash and Brock looked at each other, both sweatdropping. "Well…" Ash said. "The thing is…"

"The only strategy we had was to use Lugia's weaknesses against him," Brock said. "Despite that, we couldn't easily say that we would've been able to beat him easily."

"I see," May said. "Hmm… I guess we'll just have to hope for now that this strategy works again."

Soon, they finally reached the mountain, which appeared to be bigger than they had previously thought. "Okay, there's the entrance," Brock said, pointing to a large entryway.

"Um, when we go down there is there going to be like lava and stuff?" Ash asked. If so, it was going to be really hot down there.

"I don't think so," May said, thinking about it. "But it might still be hot though."

"_Damn it," _Ash thought.

"Well," Piplup said proudly, his eyes closed. "It's a good thing you have me. I can easily keep the temperature down."

"That's a great idea!" Ash said. "Good thinking Piplup!"

"You sure it'll work?" Pikachu said. "Won't the water evaporate?"

"Oh no no," Piplup said confidently. "It won't, since my body temperature is much, much colder than any human or Pokemon. (A/N: He's a penguin for crying out loud.) It'll be like rain in the summer time."

"Let's just hope at least we'll make it through the heat," Brock said as they entered the mountain.  


* * *

(A/N: Alright, we finally have ourselves a song here. The name of this song is "Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Complete Symphonic Score - Mt. Pyre" by "GRonnoc.")  


* * *

*Upon entering, it became rather dark but luckily Brock had a flashlight with him. Immediately, they saw many graves of Pokemon that had passed on. "Wow, I've never seen so many graves before," Ash said.

"Yes, this area is dedicated to all of those who have moved on," May said. "Let's be careful not to disturb them."

Conveniently for them, they came across a stairway that went downwards. "I wonder how far this will take us down?" Brock said as they went downwards.

"As long as we keep going down, we'll hopefully get close to where Groudon lurks," May replied. As it turned out, the staircase was a rather long one, and it kept going deeper and deeper. But on the Brightside, the cave was starting to get lighter and brighter.

"I wonder why it's getting brighter?" Piplup asked, as they finally reached flat, solid ground.

"It is because right underneath us, lava is flowing," Blaziken said. "We are at the very base of the mountain."

"Which means Groudon must be nearby," Ash said. As they continued on, it was starting to get warmer and warmer.

"Well, it's starting to get warmer now," Pikachu said.

"Well then, I'll just try out my little trick using BubbleBeam," Piplup said. As he we was about to shoot, Pikachu quickly realized how bad an idea it was and lunged at him.

However, he wasn't quick enough as at least one bubble left Piplup before he got tackled to the ground. It hit the wall, but luckily nothing happened. "Don't. Do that. Again," Pikachu said sternly to Piplup.

Piplup sweatdropped and smiled while rubbing the back of his head. "Hehe, my mistake."

However, their actions apparently didn't go unnoticed. "Hey! Who's there!?" a deep voice then said.

"Who was that?" May then said.

There then came the rumbling of footsteps and before them came a Rhyperior flanked by two Rhydon. "Humans?" the Rhyperior then said. "What are you doing here? You have no right to be here."

"We're here to see and help Groudon," Ash said, stepping forward.

"Lord Groudon does not wish to be disturbed," Rhyperior said. "Nor would he want to see meddling humans such as yourselves. I would turn back if I were you."

"We can't do that," Ash said.

"Please, we're here to help Groudon," May said. "We know something happened to him."

"You know nothing!" Rhyperior said angrily. "This is none of your concern. I will not repeat myself again…"

"We aren't leaving until we help save Groudon!" Ash said angrily as well. "We can save him."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, this will be the last song of the chapter. The name of this song is "Wild Pokemon Battle" from the same person as above.)  


* * *

*"Fine, if you're going to be so persistent, you leave us no choice," Rhyperior said. "Let 'em have it boys!" They then attacked with Rhyperior using Rock Wrecker and both Rhydon using Stone Edge.

"Eat this!" Piplup said, using BubbleBeam, which neutralized the attacks.

"You ready Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"Hold on Ash."

"Huh?" Ash said. He then looked to May and saw she had a smile on her face.

"Blaziken will take care of these three!" May said confidently. "Let _them _have it!"

Blaziken then launched forward. "Mega Kick!" he yelled, kicking both of the Rhydon to the ground and against the wall easily. He then charged forward towards Rhyperior. "Sky Uppercut!" He then went under and punched Rhyperior straight in the face, knocking him upwards. And then finally, "Blaze Kick!" He then sent Rhyperior flying backwards and crashed into the ground.

"Wow," everyone but May said.

"Good thing he's on our side," Ash said.

Blaziken then walked up towards the fallen Pokemon. "Wait, what do you want from us!?" Rhyperior said, almost begging.

"We just want to help you," May said. "We know something happened to Groudon and we need to set him right."

"I suppose… you're right," Rhyperior said as he and his henchmen got up. "It didn't happen too long ago. A human like yourselves came down here to see Groudon. There was something about him we didn't like, but it was too late at the time. We don't know what happened, but the man left as if nothing, and it was then when Lord Groudon started acting strange."

"There have been more earthquakes than usual," one of the Rhydon said. "It seemed like Groudon was in some sort of rage."

"He's probably suffering," Brock said.

"Maybe so," Rhyperior said. "You won't be able to get to him without fighting him. If you really believe you can beat him, be my guest. Otherwise, I see you all walking to your deaths."

"Can you lead us to him?" Pikachu asked.

"Yes, right this way," Rhyperior said, and they turned around. Looking at one another, Ash, May, and Brock followed them quickly.  


* * *

(A/N: Wow, I finally got this done! I apologize for the long wait. I have been so busy lately and it's been hard to write. But, it's done finally. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember, don't be a fool, wrap your tool!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	11. Groudon

(A/N: Okay, and we all know what's coming up. XD This is definitely one of my favorite songs from Final Fantasy VIII and it fits Groudon well. The name of the song is "The Legendary Beast.")  


* * *

Chapter 11: Groudon

The three trainers and their Pokemon followed the other three Pokemon down a somewhat large hallway. Soon, they got to a large doorway. "Lord Groudon is behind this door," Rhyperior said. "You're on your own now. I do hope you realize you're all going against one of the most powerful Pokemon on this Earth,"

"Well, we saved Lugia from the same fate," Ash said.

"Lugia?" Rhyperior said. He then smiled. "I see. Maybe now you have a _slight _chance of succeeding." The three of them then started laughing, but not in a mocking way. Couldn't blame them really. After that, Rhyperior then opened the door. "I wish you all luck, and if you die, you'll still have my respect."

"Um… thanks?" Pikachu replied as they went through. They first went down a large hallway but soon came upon a much larger room. It was practically the size of a field in a Pokemon Stadium.

"Is this where Groudon resides?" May asked. Then, as if in response to her words, the ground began shaking as a section of the wall on the other side started moving upwards. There was a loud growling and the sound of more footsteps. Large footsteps. Then, they saw a pair of red eyes glaring at them and they grew closer until finally the figure revealed itself.

Groudon was definitely a large Pokemon and it could be easily seen why he controlled the land on this planet. *"Who dares trespass into my lair?" the large, red Pokemon bellowed. "I, the great Lord Groudon, have never allowed humans into my lair!"

"Groudon, we aren't here to fight you!" Ash cried out. "Someone has brainwashed you into doing terrible things! You have to remember who you truly are!"

"How dare you speak to a deity such as I!" Groudon roared. "I am doing only what Lord Sirius commands me to. The land shall shudder from an angry cry, destroying towns, cities, and all human life will be wiped away, leaving Pokemon and only them to rule for themselves. Such as it was the way before!"

"Destroy all human life?" May said, almost shaking in fear.

"We can't let you do this Groudon!" Blaziken said. "Humans and Pokemon are meant to coexist, and Sirius knows what he's doing is wrong!"

"You dare defy me!?" Groudon said. "Very well, you shall meet the same fate all other humans will face!" He then roared, ready to attack.

"Well, so much for talking," Brock said.

"Guess it's up to you guys again, Pikachu," Ash said.

"Right!" Pikachu said as he and the others took the front. "Attack!"

"Whirlpool!" Piplup said, throwing the large cyclone at Groudon.

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix cried out, shooting fire.

"Overheat!" Blaziken said, launching an even larger amount of fire at Groudon.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu cried out, launching and hitting Groudon head on. It was the only attack he could use that could deal damage.

"Not bad," Groudon said. "But try this for power! Earthquake!" Somehow, he jumped slightly into the air and crashed down, sending a large amount of energy waves, knocking everyone back.

"Wow, what power!" May said as she and the others got to their feet.

"Are you all okay?" Ash asked.

"Yes," Pikachu said. "We need to keep up with the attacks. Piplup, you lead the charge!"

"Right!" Piplup said, using BubbleBeam. "Eat this!"

"Fire Spin!" Vulpix cried out.

"Blaziken!" Pikachu said.

Blaziken got the message and attacked right when Pikachu did. "Blaze Kick!"

"Iron Tail!" The team kept up using the _blitzkrieg_-style of attacking, although they were not sure of how much damage they were truly dealing.

Suddenly, however, Groudon hesitated slightly, placing a claw near his chest. "How… can you be so strong?" he said. "No mere Pokemon can take out a legendary so easily. Very well, now I must show my true potential power! Earth Power!" Groudon then took that same claw, curled it up into a fist and punched the ground, causing it to crack and send off a large force of energy that damaged all of the Pokemon. Not to mention it also cut off the trainers from their Pokemon.

"No, Pikachu! Piplup!"

"Blaziken!"

"Vulpix!"

"Now your trainers cannot help you!" Groudon said. "And now it is time to end this pointless battle! AncientPower!" Groudon then formed a large white ball of energy and shot it towards the Pokemon, knocking them all back again.

Pikachu struggled to get up. Things were looking bad. Apparently Groudon was stronger than they had imagined. If only… "I got it!" Pikachu then said. "Piplup! Blaziken! Get up!"

Piplup groaned as he got up. "You got an idea?" he said.

"Of course," Pikachu said, quickly explaining. "Now hurry, before Groudon attacks again!"

"Got it," Blaziken said. He then picked up Piplup and using all the strength he had, flung Piplup straight at Groudon!

"What the-!? Get off of me!" Groudon roared as Piplup clung to his face.

"Time for you to go night-night!" Piplup said, hitting Groudon in the face with BubbleBeam. The sudden attack caused Groudon to be knocked unbalanced and soon came crashing to the ground with a big THUD!

"Way to go Piplup!" Pikachu said, as everyone else let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh no, no need to thank me!" Piplup said, jumping off and taking a bow. "It was nothing really." The other Pokemon instantly started sweatdropping at this.

"Errr…" Groudon groaned, slowly getting to his feet and rubbing his head. "What… what's going on here?" He then saw Ash and the others. "Humans? Down here…? What has happened?"

"My Lord!" a voice then said. Ash, May, and Brock turned around to see Rhyperior and his escorts coming into the room.

"Rhyperior?" Groudon asked. "I hope perhaps you can fill me in on what has happened?"

"That I can do, my Lord," Rhyperior said.

"I see," Groudon said after Rhyperior, with the help of Ash and the others, explained their stories. "I was fool to even let Sirius into my lair into the surface. But, by the time I figured out was going on, it was too late. As I probably would've known, Sirius was using me to cause natural disasters, which would've eventually caused the human population to dwindle."

"No need to blame yourself Groudon," Pikachu said. "We've all been affected by what has been going on."

"Yes, your friend is in danger," Groudon said. "It puts more pressure on your shoulders since not only are you saving your friend, but the world as well. But… something still troubles me. How can a human like him be able to carry such power? It is impossible. No mere human can control the powers that a Pokemon has."

"Why is that?" May asked.

"The effect could end up killing them," Groudon said. "The human body, as far as I know, cannot handle such energy. It could destroy them."

"Then obviously Sirius is no mere human," Brock said.

"Indeed," Groudon said. "So, what will you do now?"

"Well… I guess we'll have to find Kyogre next," Ash said.

Groudon slightly smiled. "Ah yes, I figured as much," he said. "Kyogre and I had been battling for many centuries. And for many centuries we've also been resting, for the next battle. How the world is know was the end result of our last battle. Of course, that could always change in the future."

"Wait a minute, that was a joke, right?" Piplup said. But Groudon did not reply.

"Kyogre is at Shoal Cave, correct?" May asked.

"That is his resting spot," Groudon said. "Kyogre is the lord of the waters and oceans. He could be anywhere, but that is my guess."

"Very well, we had better get going," Ash said.

"Of course," Groudon said, bowing slightly. "And I thank all of you for saving me from my dark fate. If you had not come, I fear eventually Hoenn would've been suffering from more than tremors."  


* * *

"_So, they managed to defeat Groudon as well…" _Sirius sat in his seat in deep thought. This was somewhat troubling news. _"Apparently I underestimated them," _he thought. _"Not to mention there's now a girl with them." _Of course, he didn't need all of the legendaries for his master plan, but if this kept up, he would have to do things himself, which would make them much harder to complete.

He then took out a communicator and got up, placing it down in front of him. A light then beamed out of it, then showing a holographic image of Terra and Cruix. "Yes, my Lord?" Terra asked.

"A slight change in plans," Sirius said. "I'll need you and Cruix to take your packs towards Sky Pillar. They will be heading there eventually."

"Of course my Lord," Terra said.

"We'll have everyone move there at once," Cruix said.

Sirius nodded and cut the transmission. _"Even if they end up beating Kyogre and Rayquaza, they cannot go on forever. Dialga and Palkia will see to that personally."  


* * *

_

After finally getting outside of Mt. Pyre, the three trainers saw that it was still light out. "Oh no!" May then cried out. "The ship left! Now how are we supposed to get out of here?" She then fell onto her knees in defeat.

"Oh man, I could sure some rest and food right now," Ash said, holding his stomach.

"I think we could all use a rest, especially the Pokemon," May said.

"Well, good thing I brought all of my cooking supplies," Brock said smiling as he took off his backpack.

"Wait, you cook?" Ash asked.

"Well, I wouldn't be much of a breeder if I didn't," Brock said, as he started to get lunch prepared.

"His food is amazing," Vulpix said. "You'll see soon enough."

After about an hour, lunch was ready. "Wow Brock, you weren't kidding!" Ash said, eating his food.

"Yeah, this is even better than the food Mom makes," May said.

"Glad to hear it," Brock said. "And also that the Pokemon like the special Pokemon food I made."

"Very good," Pikachu said, munching down.

"Well, the best I can do is make Pokeblock," May said, taking out a dispenser. "I've managed to get the formula down. Blaziken likes them a lot, especially when he was younger."

Once they were done with lunch and refreshed, they then planned out their next move. "Well, Shoal cave should be northeast of here," May said.

"Okay, so how exactly are we going to get there if there is nothing to get us there with," Ash said.

"Um guys?" Pikachu said, looking over at something. "You might want to see this." They looked over to where Pikachu was looking and saw a large boat. Medium-sized to be exact.

"Wow, someone just left it here?" Brock asked.

"Can't tell," Ash said. "But if there's keys in the ignition it'll work fine."

"Wait a minute, you're not gonna actually steal this boat are you?" May said.

"Well, if you would rather be stuck on this mountain," Ash said.

"Ugh, if we get arrested for this, I had no part in this!" May said.

Once getting on the boat, Brock noticed the keys _were_ still in the ignition. "And no one else seems to be around," he said. "Well, might as well use it." He then started it up and the boat roared to life. Soon, the boat took off towards Shoal Cave, but little did they know that someone had sneaked on board before they took off.  


* * *

(A/N: And that will end chapter 11. I'm glad I was able to update this story quicker. Anyway, I'll give ten bucks to the person who can guess who sneaked on board. Okay, not really, but do guess. XD Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and Happy Easter!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	12. To Shoal Cave

Chapter 12: To Shoal Cave

As the boat continued its way towards Shoal Cave, Ash noticed May was standing against the railing, looking out against the distance. "Hey May," Ash then said, coming up to her. "You alright?"

"Huh?" May then said, looking towards him. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I've just had things on my mind."

"Wanna talk about it?" Ash asked.

"Well…" May said hesitantly. "I guess I could. Back then a couple months ago when I first started doing contests, I met this boy. His name was Drew and at first, well, he was pretty much a jerk to me. Always criticized my strategies and all that. However, after each contest, whether win or lose, he would always give me a rose. Of course, he said it was just to make me feel better."

"That's… kind of unusual," Ash said.

"Yeah, I thought the same," May said. She then blushed slightly. "But… I eventually found out that he was starting to like and well… he asked me out after the one contest."

"And you said yes?" Ash asked.

"Yeah…" May said, smiling slightly. "To be honest, he's a lot nicer than I had previously thought. But… something came up…"

*Flashback*

_It was tough losing in the second to last round, but at least Drew made it through. May was staring at the television as Drew battled his final opponent. Of course, she knew well how tough he was, as well as Absol, as they both quickly took advantage of the battle. It wasn't long before Drew and Absol came out victorious._

_Afterwards, May stood near the stage as Drew was being awarded his ribbon and was going to go see him once he came down. However, what happened next she did not expect._

"_Drew!" Both of them looked over to see a girl with long reddish hair run up to him. _

"_Solidad?" Drew managed to say before she hugged him._

"_You did amazing out there," she said. "I'm proud." May just stood there, stunned. Unfortunately, her emotions got to her and before she could even think she started running in the opposite direction._

"_May?" Drew then said, noticing her reaction and then realizing what happened. "Crud, could you excuse me Solidad?" He then went in the same direction May went and soon found near the waiting area on the floor against the wall crying softly, Blaziken near her. "May, what's wrong?"_

_May then looked up, her face tear-stained and upset. "What's wrong!?" she snapped. "Who's Solidad!?"_

"_She's just a friend I know from way back," Drew said calmly._

"_Oh, I'm sure," May said heatedly. "You think I can believe that?"_

"_May, if you just let me explain…" Drew then said._

"_No!" May then shouted. "I don't want to hear it!" She then got to her feet. "We're through Drew! I don't want to see you again!" She then ran out of the building. Drew and Blaziken both shared a look of surprise and shock but he soon went after May._

"_Um Drew?" Absol then said. "What just happened?"_

_Drew sighed while leaning against the wall. "It was all a misunderstanding…"_

"I was rather upset at that point," May said, looking down in shame. "Of course, for stupid reasons only. The next time I saw him, he tried to explain again and apologize but I of course just snapped at him, like before." She could almost feel her eyes start to fill with tears as she was recalling what had happened before all of them left for Mt. Pyre.

"I can understand why you're feeling upset," Ash said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But maybe Drew will still end up forgiving you if you see him again."

"Yeah… hopefully," May said, staring out into the ocean. "Hey Ash," she then said. "What about Dawn? Do you have feelings for her as well?"

Ash suddenly started blushing once he heard the question. "Well…" he said. "I'm… not sure. I mean, I didn't really get to talk to her much before… well, you know." However, deep down inside, he knew despite the short time he had together, there was something about her that made him feel… good. Like a breath of fresh air, or something like that. "But… I think maybe I do have feelings for her."

May giggled. "Well, if you like her so much, then she must be a very nice girl."

"Yeah, that she is," Ash replied.

Soon, they finally made it to Shoal Cave, which ended up being bigger than previously thought. The outside part was surrounded by a somewhat large terrain, with one large entrance. "So, Kyogre should be around here somewhere right?" Brock asked.

"Yes," May replied. "Shoal Cave is a bit complex. Depending on the time and tide, the cave tends to be completely filled with water or rather shallow." She then looked at her watch. "We're in luck; it's still low tide right now, but only for a couple more hours."

"Alright then," Ash said. "We had better get going then." He then noticed May's hesitation. "May? Something wrong?"

"Huh?" May then said. "Oh. Um… listen, if you two don't mind, I feel like I should try to get some fresh air before we do this, you know, so I'm better focused and all."

"Um… sure," Brock said. "We'll be getting our bearings as well, so just find us when you're ready to go."

"Right," May said, nodding before she turned around and started walking. However, she stopped once she realized she was being followed. "Blaziken," she then said. "I'm sorry, but I need to be alone for a little bit."

"I understand," Blaziken said. "Just be careful, I have the feeling we're being watched right now."

"I will," May said as Blaziken turned around and followed the others. She then continued walking until she found a small ledge, which she sat at, holding her legs close to her chest. _"I'm such an idiot Drew," _she thought. "I should've just listened to you from the start," she then said out loud. She then stared out towards the ocean, being complimented by the light blue sky. "I hope you can forgive me." She continued to stare out onto the horizon. It was beautiful, but it could've been better if _he _were around. Sighing, she then got up to her feet. However, she didn't expect the ground underneath her to give out. Panicking, she quickly jumped and clung onto the edge for dear life. _"Shit!" _she cursed in her head, regretting going here by herself.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, so that I can still manage to fit this in somewhere, I'm gonna put it here. Anyway, the song I have here is called "Pokemon R/S/E Remix – Trainer Battle" by, yours truly, PokeRemixStudios.)  


* * *

"May!" All of a sudden she looked up and right above her was Drew.

"Drew!?" May said, surprised and shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"That doesn't matter now, just give me your hand!" Drew said quickly. May was about to but the piece of ground her other hand held gave out. "No, May!" Drew yelled, quickly grabbing her other hand before she fell to her death. Using his strength, he then managed to pull her onto solid ground.

"Oh Drew!" May then said, hugging him tightly and causing him to blush. "Thank you so much! But… how did you get here?"

"Well… it's kind of a long story," Drew said. *All of a sudden, multiple portals behind them appeared and a large group of Pokemon appeared, consisting of many Manectric, Swellow, and Shiftry. "But… I think I'll have to get back to you on that."

Unfortunately, it was just the two of them versus all these Pokemon. "What are we going to do?" May said, almost whimpering.

"Just stay calm," Drew said. All of a sudden, there was a huge Flash which blinded all of them, and soon in front of May and Drew stood Absol. "Nice of you to finally show up," Drew then said.

"My apologies," Absol said. He then looked back to May. "It's good to see you again May."

May smiled and nodded. "Likewise, Absol."

"So, guess it's time for me to get my paws dirty," Absol said. The Pokemon then attacked, but Absol was too quick, and luckily May and Drew ducked before the attacks hit them. Absol soon reappeared on their side. "Now have some of this!" he cried out. "Water Pulse!" A large sphere of water appeared and hit the ground forces, mainly the Shiftry and Manectric, damaging them greatly. "And now to finish the rest of you off. Razor Wind!" The attack came from the sickle-shaped growth sticking out of his head and quickly took care of the Swellow. Soon, the Pokemon then retreated, realizing they were no match.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, one more song here, out of who knows how many left, possibly the last one. Anyway, the name of the song is "Pokemon Emerald Credits Revamped" by JacksonHugh. It's a nice arranged version of the end credits.)  


* * *

Absol then turned around towards the two trainers. "You two alright?"

"Yeah," Drew said. He then crossed his arms. "Now how come you weren't behind me when I had to help May?"

"I knew they were coming," Absol said with a hint of a smile. "That's what I'm good at: predicting." This caused Drew to sweatdrop slightly.

"Well, thank you Absol," May said, petting him on the head. "At least I'm appreciative unlike _some _people."

"Hey!" Drew said. "I'm appreciative!"

May laughed. "I know," she said. "Anyway, you were going to tell me something before? Something along the lines of how you got here in the first place?"

"Oh, right," Drew said, placing a hand behind his head. "Well, after we last saw each other, I noticed you were with some people, and I saw that you were heading to Mt. Pyre and of course I was curious. Anyway, I hitched a ride on the same boat and once you guys got off, I kind of roamed around so you wouldn't notice me. And then, when you took that boat, I kind of snuck on board." He winced slightly. "I hope you're not upset."

*May then burst out laughing again. "Me? Upset? No Drew." She then smiled. "Actually, I'm glad you did that."

"Really?" Drew said.

"Yeah," May replied. She then frowned slightly. "To be honest, I was feeling about before, with what had happened in the first place. I was such an idiot Drew. I… let jealousy get to me when I should've just listened to what you said. I'm sorry."

Drew then walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't be," he said. He then smiled. "I guess I should've told you who Solidad was in the first place. But oh well, all I know I proved to be the better coordinator that day."

"Excuse me?" May said angrily.

"You heard me," Drew said, now showing off his more familiar snide look while flicking his hair.

"Oh whatever," May said, turning around with her arms crossed.

Drew laughed. "You know you look cute when you get all upset like that."

May blushed slightly. "I know, you told me that before."

"That I have," Drew said. "Anyway, I'm sure your friends are around here somewhere."

"Yeah," May said. "Guess it's time to finally meet them." Soon the three of them headed back to where the others were. While they were walking, May couldn't help but smile since at least now she and Drew were once again friends.  


* * *

(A/N: And that will end this chapter. Yes, it was Drew the entire time following her and yes now they're friends again so now you all can feel happy again. XD You are happy right? Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember, summer is almost here!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	13. Kyogre

(A/N: Hmm… you know, I really want to give Absol a VA. XD It seems kind of original, but he would go well with Steve Blum, who does Vincent Valentine. I don't know, I think it could work out.)  


* * *

Chapter 13: Kyogre

Soon, both May and Drew managed to find the others. "Hey guys!" May said, getting their attention.

"Hey May," Ash said. He and Brock then looked at Drew. "Who is this?"

"Everyone, this is Drew and his companion Absol," May said, looking at Drew with a smile.

"Eh, you don't have to worry about the formalities," Drew said, flicking his hair. "It's just Drew and Absol."

"Nice to meet you Drew," Brock said. "I'm Brock, and this is my friend Vulpix."

"I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu and Piplup," Ash then said.

"Wait a minute," Absol said. "There are two Pokemon with you, but you're only allowed to have one."

"This again?" Piplup asked.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that little part to you two," May said. She then proceeded by explaining the entire scenario to the two of them.

"Wow, that really redefines "doing anything for love,"" Drew said. "But let me get this straight. There's some dude calling himself "the Pokemon Emperor" and wants to eliminate humans for the Pokemons' sake, this girl Dawn gets trapped somewhere and to find and get to her we have to rescue the legendaries that are under his control?"

"In a nutshell, yes," Brock said.

"You have to admit the natural disasters we've had have been… unnatural," May said.

"She's right," Absol said, causing everyone to look at him. "My reputation has meaning to it. I can predict such occurrences but never have I detected some so frequently. The earthquakes were obviously Groudon's doing. The tsunamis, Kyogre's doing-"

"Wait a minute," Pikachu said. "Tsunamis? We didn't hear about this one."

"The tsunamis haven't been as frequent," May said. "But nevertheless they have caused devastation. The money Hoenn is putting towards restoring the places that have been damaged is definitely hurting them."

"But that isn't all," Absol said. "Each and every legendary has an important part of maintaining the balance of this world. Like Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza, the deity who drifts in our atmosphere. Palkia and Dialga, the deities of space and time. This must be why Sirius wants control of them all, because he knows their power can bring about the extinction of the human race."

"When you think about it, it makes sense," Ash said. "But anyway, we can't just stand around. Kyogre is just inside that cave and we need to help him with the time we have."

"Right," the rest of them said and soon they all went inside the cave.

"_Hmm," _Pikachu thought, who was mingled in with the group. _"Kyogre is obviously a water-type, which makes me the deciding factor in this fight. It's strange, how every battle is like a game, putting all your pieces in place and finding the perfect strategy."_

"Something wrong Pikachu?" Piplup then asked, who was walking beside him.

"No, just thinking some things over," Pikachu said. "Unfortunately, this process of going places, fighting, and saving someone tends to get old rather quickly. But I'm not complaining."

"Well, no one said it would be easy," Piplup said.

"Indeed," Pikachu said, sighing. "Once this is over, I'm gonna need a vacation for myself."

"Well, let's try to save Dawn first, okay?" Piplup reminded him.

"I know that," Pikachu said, feeling a bit annoyed at the moment.

May, meanwhile, was noticing that Blaziken was smiling slightly. "What?" she then said. She then whispered slightly, "Why are you smiling?"

"Seems you and Drew have gotten reacquainted," Blaziken said.

May soon found herself blushing. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing," Blaziken said. "I'm just happy for you two, that's all."

"I have to admit Drew," Ash said, who was walking alongside with him. "I'm surprised you were quick to believing the whole scenario here."

"Well, when you have someone like Absol with you, even the unbelievable seems believable," Drew said.

"So you're a coordinator just like May right?" Ash asked.

"Yeah… wait a minute," Drew then said, giving Ash a look. "Did May tell you this?"

"Yeah," Ash replied. "And she told me about that one incident."

"Oh great…" Drew said, sighing. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me…"

They continued going downwards, deeper into the lower part of the cave. "So how do we know Kyogre is even here right now?" Brock asked. "It is the deity of the oceans after all…"

"True, Kyogre has traveled all over the planet," May said. "But Hoenn is its home, and usually likes to stay there, especially here."

"Let's just hope we came at the right time then," Vulpix said.

"Looks like we're still on low tide," May said. "Good, the main part of the cave isn't too far down now. In a way you could it Kyogre's lair."

Finally, the group reached level ground and entered into a much larger area, the majority of it covered in water. "Well, this certainly looks like the place," Pikachu said.

"Really makes me wanna swim in it right now," Piplup said, sighing slightly. Absol, meanwhile, was staring straight at the water.

"Notice something Absol?" Drew asked.

"He is here, and notices our presence," Absol said calmly. "Get ready for a "wet entrance.""

All of a sudden, the water started rippling extremely and soon something shot out of the water, causing a huge splash. "Humans," a booming voice said. "Explain your reason for trespassing in my lair…"  


* * *

(A/N: Might as well make the mention here. The song I'm about to use in this battle is called "Summoned Beast Battle" Final Fantasy X.)  


* * *

Absol then took the liberty for speaking for the group. "You have been brainwashed against your will Kyogre," he said.

"No," Kyogre responded. "Not brainwashed. Lord Sirius has only showed how much of a burden humans truly are."

"Only after he managed to defeat you," Absol replied calmly. "The real Kyogre would not believe in human genocide."

"If you will not listen to reason, then you will suffer just as the humans," Kyogre said. All of a sudden, Kyogre then used Sheer Cold, which froze Absol completely solid.

"Absol, no!" Drew cried out, running to his Pokemon. Even the others were completely shocked with what had just happened. Drew then looked at the legendary in anger. "You'll pay for that!" he yelled in anger. But despite his threat, he knew that he could do nothing and Kyogre was not in his right mind.

*"Humans no longer have a place in this world," Kyogre said. "And Lord Sirius will see to that."

"Drew, we'll take care of Kyogre," Ash said. "You make sure Absol is alright." Drew nodded, keeping an eye over Absol.

"This is going to be tough," Blaziken said. "Kyogre is resistant to most of our attacks."

"Well, we'll try just have to improvise," Pikachu said.

"Eh, it won't be a problem with me," Piplup said. All of a sudden, he jumped up and his beak began to glow and grow into a sharp point. He then charged forward and attacked Kyogre full on before coming back. "That was my Peck attack."

"If that's the case," Vulpix said. She then used Quick Attack, charging forward and hitting Kyogre as well.

Blaziken then charged forward, jumping into the air. "Mega Kick!" he cried out, hitting Kyogre straight in the face.

"You traitors are fools if you think you will be able to defeat me!" Kyogre said. Suddenly, a large cloud appeared above them and it started raining violently, soaking everyone. However, both Blaziken and Vulpix cried out in pain.

"Blaziken!" May cried out.

"Vulpix!" Brock cried out as well.

"We cannot handle these attacks…" Blaziken groaned in pain.

"Water affects us the most…" Vulpix said in pain.

However, fortunately for them, Pikachu was now soaked, but the cheeks on his face started crackling with electricity and he smiled, knowing what was gonna happen next. "Not exactly your best choice of attack," Pikachu said. "Thunderbolt!" He then shot a powerful bolt of electricity at Kyogre, and since water conducts electricity, Kyogre felt the pain ten times worse.

"Nice work Pikachu!" Ash cried out.

All of a sudden, the ice around Absol started to crack and soon broke apart, with Absol shaking his head furiously. "Absol! You alright?" Drew asked.

"I'm fine," Absol said with a slight smile. "It will take more than ice to keep me down." He then saw that Vulpix and Blaziken were badly weakened. "Looks like it's my turn to contribute." He then went next to Pikachu and Piplup. "Guess it's time we try to finish this huh?"

"Absolutely," Piplup said.

"Then let's do this," Absol said. The sickle on his head began to glow white. "Have some of this! Razor Wind!" The attack then shot out of Absol and hit Kyogre directly.

"Peck attack, one more time!" Piplup said, attacking Kyogre as well.

"Enough of these childish games!" Kyogre said. "This ends now!" It looked like Kyogre was preparing for another Sheer Cold attack.

"Oh no you don't!" Pikachu said. He then charged forward, using Volt Tackle which ht Kyogre straight on. However, he wasn't done yet and used Thunderbolt once more, hurting Kyogre even more. Pikachu jumped back as Kyogre continued to be electrocuted and soon was knocked out, sinking back into the water.

"Did we… beat it?" May asked.

"I'm not sure," Ash said. All of a sudden, there was yet another big splash as Kyogre suddenly reappeared. However, something was different this time.

"Are you the ones who freed me from my chains and binds?" Kyogre asked.

"Yes," Absol said.

"I must thank you, humans and Pokemon as well," Kyogre said. "Sirius thought he could use me for his deeds. He wanted to use Groudon to cause earthquakes which would ultimately destroy cities and towns. And if that wasn't enough, use me to cause tsunamis and flood the entire planet. I realize now he is a fool and a hypocrite. He would let innocent Pokemon die just so he can ensure their freedom from humans."

"But why would he do so in the first place?" Drew asked.

"That, I do not know," Kyogre said. "Perhaps he is a sympathizer, but there is something odd about him. He's not your average human."

"So we can tell," Brock said.

"Why you particular bunch saved me, I do not know, but I am sure perhaps Ho-oh can explain," Kyogre said. "You have my thanks, and do not worry, I will be safe here. Sirius will not come after me again."

"Before we go," Ash then said. "What can you tell us about Rayquaza?"

"Rayquaza?" Drew said. "Oh you can't be serious…"

"Rayquaza was created to stop the fighting between Groudon and I," Kyogre explained. But more or less, Rayquaza represents the atmosphere we live in, such as the oceans for me, and the earth for Groudon."

"Yeah, not to mention Rayquaza has a nasty temper," Drew muttered.

"You will find him on Sky Pillar," Kyogre said. "That is his resting ground. I fear the worst: Rayquaza has always been the protector of this planet, but it also has the power to destroy it. You only have so much time before Sirius makes his final strike. Do not let us down…"

"We won't let that happen," Pikachu said confidently.

"Farewell humans," Kyogre said. "I have a feeling this will not be the last time we meet…"  


* * *

Soon after, they made their way out of the cave, while Brock and May attended to their Pokemon. "So Drew, what were you saying about Rayquaza before?" Ash asked.

"What, that Rayquaza has a nasty temper?" Drew said. "I can't say I would know personally, but Rayquaza gets moody about its territory. Couple years ago during a major snow storm in the mountains, some strange meteor fell down from the sky. Researchers who established a small base there saw it and went to retrieve it. However, before they could really recover the meteor, Rayquaza appeared and attacked everything around it. The base was destroyed and everyone was killed."

"Wow," Ash said. "I didn't think Rayquaza would do something like that."

"It may protect us, yes, but when it comes to territory, Rayquaza doesn't care," Drew said. "But don't listen what I have to say. It's all based on opinion."

Once everyone was healed up and taken care of, the sun was starting to set. "Well, it might be a good idea for us to rest before taking on Rayquaza," Brock said.

"Yeah, everyone is probably worn out," May said.

"Alright, once we get to Sky Pillar, we'll rest there," Ash said. Everyone else nodded.

Drew, meanwhile, was staring at May. Now that they were on good terms, what happens now? _"Does she still like me?" _Drew thought to himself. _"Maybe, but I can't just ask her openly. Ugh, I can't think like this right now, especially if the weight of the world is on my back."_

May caught sight of Drew looking at her and blushed slightly. The attraction she had for him was still there, but she did not how to express it again. It had been so much easier before. However, she let those thoughts fade away for the moment. For right now, she had important things to take care of and also to get some much R&R.  


* * *

(A/N: And that will end chapter 13! Weee! XD Sorry… Anyway, as you may or may not noticed, I'm kind of changing things around and focusing on two stories, one of them I'm about to complete. After that, I'm gonna mostly focus on this story so I can catch up on time lost and all that. So, hope you enjoyed the chapter and TGIAS – Thank God It's Almost Summer.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	14. Sky Pillar

(A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Finals pretty much took up my schedule this week. DX So, I've decided the main goal of this summer, other than getting a job, is to get this story finished. It will be tough, because this is a long story, but I know I can do it. Wish me luck!)

* * *

Chapter 14: Sky Pillar

The sun was setting as the group finally reached Sky Pillar, a large peak that, hence its name, almost pierced the sky. "Okay, now that we're here, we can get some rest for the night," Brock said.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Ash said, lying down in the soft grass, while Pikachu did the same.

"I think the Pokemon need more rest than you do Ash," May said, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, I know that," Ash said, sighing slightly. "But I think they could also use some food…"

"Heh, Drew, you'll be introduced to Brock's cooking, which is amazing by the way," May said. After eating dinner, Drew was quick to agree.

By that time, it was now dark and everyone was feeling tired. Lucky for them, both Brock and Drew managed to have sleeping bags which were then folded out to use as a comforter. Soon Ash, Brock, (who were sleeping on the same sleeping bag) and May went to sleep, leaving only Drew awake as he stared into what was left of the fire.

All of a sudden, he looked over and saw May coming towards him and then sat down next to him. "I thought you were sleeping," he said.

"I couldn't," she said, yawning slightly. "Despite what had gone on today."

Drew smirked slightly. "Oh really? Is that your reason?"

May smiled. "Well… maybe not exactly…" She then got closer to him. "To be honest, since you got here, I had been thinking."

"About what?" Drew asked.

"About what had happened before," May said, blushing slightly. "It was… stupid to assume like I did."

Drew sighed and put his arm around her shoulder. "Didn't I already say I forgave you?" he said with a smile.

May then got closer to him and snuggled into him. "Yeah… you did," she said, causing Drew to blush slightly.

"May…" Drew then said, continuing to stare into the flames. "I missed you…"

May almost giggled. "I missed you too." She then pressed into him hard and started kissing him, causing both of them to fall over onto the ground with May on top.

"May!" Drew whispered loudly, surprised at the action she took. May smiled the usual cute smile she had and kissed him again, causing Drew to relax and return the kiss. He then placed one hand at her waist, feeling her soft, smooth skin underneath and placed the other on her breast.

May smiled, almost grinning. "You know we can't do this here, right?" she then whispered.

"I know," Drew said, smiling back. "A guy just can't help it sometimes, you know?"

"Right…" May said. She then giggled and started unbuttoning her top teasingly, showing some cleavage. "You like this, don't you?"

"M-May…" Drew said, blushing more.

May laughed and laid down on him. "I was just kidding Drew," she said. "Besides, once this is done and we have time to ourselves, then we can think about doing that. For now, let's just get some sleep."

"Yeah…" Drew replied. He then got up and picked May up, holding her by her back and legs. "Would the lady like to be escorted to her bed?" he then said with a grin.

"I would love that, my dear sir," May replied, beaming as Drew took her to where the other sleeping bag was and laid her down gently. He then laid down next to her, holding her close. "I love you Drew," she then said.

"I love you too May," he replied, kissing her one more time before the two of them soon fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Ash woke up to the smell of Brock's cooking. He got up and saw that everyone minus May and Drew were up as well. "Nice to see up early Ash," Brock said.

"Normally, he's still sleeping right now," Pikachu said with a smile.

Brock then grinned. "Hey Ash, look behind you." Ash looked behind him and almost burst out laughing, seeing that Drew and May were cuddling next to one another.

"They been like the entire night?" Ash said, holding back laughter.

"Yep," Brock said, who was close to laughing as well. Unfortunately for the two, it seemed like everyone found the situation hilarious.

"So what do we do once they wake up?" Piplup asked, who was having the most trouble with his flippers over his mouth.

"Act casual," Brock said. "It'll make it even funnier to watch."

It wasn't long before Drew woke up, but once he did and saw that everyone else was awake and where he was sitting caused two words to go straight to his head: _"Oh shit." _He then got up and went over to the others. "Hey guys," he then said while blushing.

"Hey Drew, what's up?" Ash asked.

"You saw all that, didn't you?" Drew asked.

"Yep," Brock replied.

"Wonderful," Drew said. "Um… could you guys do me a favor? Can we just pretend this didn't happen? And don't tell May either."

"But it would we funny if we did," Pikachu said with a smile on his face.

"Don't you dare!" Drew snapped. "Ugh, I'll never live this down…"

"You're seriously getting hyped up about this because of May?" Absol asked. "Drew, she's your girlfriend…"

"Can we just drop this please?" Drew asked, putting his face in his palms.

"Don't worry Drew, we won't say anything," Brock said reassuringly.

"Good," Drew said. "Because if she found out, let's just say it could affect our current mission right now."

* * *

(A/N: Okay, for this part, we got ourselves here a pretty nifty song that fits both Pokemon and Hoenn. XD Not to mention it's the first Pokemon song I've heard that has record scratching. Yeah. Anyway, the name of the song is "Pokemon R/S/E Remix – Elite Four (Second Remix)" from the one and only PokeRemixStudios.)

* * *

After May finally woke up, followed by a silent and slightly awkward silence, the group then finally headed out towards Sky Pillar. Luckily for them, they were near the base of the mountain so they didn't have to get far. Of course, the way there wasn't exactly going to be a walk in the park.

"About time you guys show up," a voice then said. All of a sudden, two portals appeared and a Houndoom and Mightyena came out of them, which happened to be Terra and Cruix.

"Who are you?" Brock asked, his brow narrowing down in displeasure.

*"I believe we've been acquainted with your friends before," Terra said.

"What are you two doing here!" Pikachu growled, recognizing them now.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here after what happened before!" Piplup said angrily.

"You shouldn't have interfered," Cruix replied.

"Whatever, we kicked your tails before, we can do it again," Pikachu said determinedly.

"Hmph, that may be so," Terra said and, if on cue, many other Pokemon suddenly appeared, surrounding them. "But we have some of our friends joining us this time, and they're willing to take care of traitors such as yourselves."  
"This is what happens when you interfere with Lord Sirius' plans," Cruix added.

"Well, so much for this being an easy trip up the summit," Absol said, gearing up to fight.

"You're messing with the wrong Pokemon!" Piplup said, unleashing a powerful Whirlpool upon the Pokemon in front of him, which caused the battle to erupt in chaos.

With the flurry of attacks, the area quickly became ravaged, but things were only heating up. While the others took care of the other Pokemon, Pikachu and Piplup were focused mainly on Cruix and Terra. "You pipsqueaks won't win this time!" Terra said, firing a Shadow Ball at Piplup.

"With you out of the way, our lord can finally make this world a better place!" Cruix said, firing Dark Pulse at Pikachu.

Both of them jumped back, dodging the attacks. "It's obvious you haven't learned a thing from last time," Pikachu said.

"We're just more powerful than you are," Piplup said confidently.

"Is that so?" Terra growled.

"Just look in front of you," Pikachu said, motioning behind him.

Terra looked over him and saw the other Pokemon were either knocked out or were retreating from battle. Terra stood there frozen and paralyzed, not only because he was shocked but because he was scared. As of right now, it seemed like his fate was certain, no matter where he went. "I can't run away… without marking myself as a coward," he murmured. He then looked up and then charged forward. "For Lord Sirius!" he cried out. Pikachu then shot forward and used Iron Tail against him, causing him to stop in his tracks and soon fell down to his death.

Cruix, stunned by what had just happened, took a step back. "I can't fight like this," he said, turning around and running back.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, this might be the last song of the chapter. The name of this song is "The Evil Lord X-Death" from Final Fantasy V.)

* * *

*All of a sudden, a figure that was hooded appeared out of nowhere. "Cruix, you weren't thinking of running, were you?" he said.

Cruix then realized with horror that it was Sirius himself. "My lord, our numbers have been cut thin, I was only retreating-"

"Lies!" Sirius yelled. "I know you were planning on running away for good. I should have you banished and imprisoned for such cowardice!"

"My lord, please forgive me!" Cruix said, looking down in shame. "I will do better next time, I will succeed!"

"Next time?" Sirius said. "Oh no… There will be no next time for you Cruix. It appears your service has come to an end."

"No! I beg thee my lord!" Cruix said, bowing down pathetically. "Please don't-"

"Goodbye." With a snap of his fingers, Cruix crumbled to the ground, his soul now departed from his body. "Worthless Pokemon…"

"Sirius!" Ash yelled.

Sirius looked up. "I would take the pleasure of destroying all of you," he said. "But for now I shall let Rayquaza take care of that." And with that, he disappeared one again.

"Unbelievable," Blaziken said. "He killed that Pokemon, just like that."

"Sirius is cruel after all," May said sadly.

"This wasn't meant to be their fate," Drew said, looking at both bodies.

"We can't just sit here and mourn," Brock said. "We have to keep going."

"Yeah," Ash said. "Pikachu, you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Pikachu replied. He looked down to Terra's body before heading towards the bottom part of the mountain. With all his talk, was Sirius' vision of a new world really meant to _free _Pokemon?

* * *

(A/N: And that will end Chapter 14! Sorry it took so long. I got a bit side-tracked with stuff, but at least it's done. I'll make sure (or at least try) to update quicker in the future. Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember, SCHOOLS OUT FOR THE SUMMER!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	15. Rayquaza

(A/N: Okay, before we start this, I have two things: one, I guess its safe to say the story is probably halfway done (or more) at this point. Which is always good. And two, we have a song right here perfect for this part in the story. The name of this song is "Sky Tower" from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team.)

* * *

Chapter 15: Rayquaza

*It wasn't long before they got to the foot of the mountain. "Looks like you can only go up it from the inside," Vulpix said.

"Guess that means there will many stairways to climb," Brock added.

"Hope you're not scared May," Drew said, smirking slightly.

"Scared!" May suddenly snapped, getting upset. "I already went through Mt. Pyre so you have no reason to think I'm scared!"

"Alright, that's enough you two…" Blaziken said.

"After this, we can finally leave Hoenn," Ash said. He then turned to Pikachu. "You ready for this, buddy?"

"Let's do this," Pikachu replied.

They then entered the mountain, which happened to be dark, but Absol used Flash to help light up the room. As to no surprise, it was a long way up. "Well, maybe we won't have to go back down this again…" May muttered, trying hard not to complain.

Luck for them, however, the mountain seemed clear of any Pokemon, except perhaps for any Zubat or Golbat, which was good because they needed all the energy they could get. But, it almost seems like if it was set up like this, as if Rayquaza was waiting for them perhaps. "Guess this means that Rayquaza is at the peak?" Piplup asked.

"No doubt about it," Pikachu said. "He could be waiting for us…"

As they kept walking up, they finally found an exit back outside, but it was the highest they could go, meaning they had to keep climbing on the outside now. On the outside, it was colder than before, due to the altitude, but their final destination was close, as they kept trudging up the mountain, the area they were in now covered in snow.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, second song of the chapter. This here is yet another remix by PokeRemixStudios and the name of the song is "Pokemon R/S/E Remix – Legendary Pokemon (2nd Remix).")

* * *

Soon, they finally reached the peak. Right in front of them, with his back turned, was Rayquaza. They walked up to him, knowing soon what would have to take place. "Tell me," Rayquaza then said, still looking up into the stars. *"Do you ever look up into the stars and wonder what purpose you have in this world? For many centuries, I have protected this planet, humans and Pokemon alike. That was what I was created for. But… little did I know at the time the true cause of the world's sorrows was because of humans… Humans enslaving Pokemon, using them against their wills for their own purposes. Why did the Creator make them if this was to happen? I still do not understand. However…" He then turned around to face them. "I know I must help eliminate all humans in this world… starting with you."

"That's not you saying that Rayquaza," Pikachu said. "Sirius only made you think like that."

"Lord Sirius may be human, but he fights for Pokemon freedom," Rayquaza said. "I am sorry… but I am doing this for the right reasons." He then rose into the air, levitating above them. "I will make this as painless as I can… if you're willing to die peacefully. Hyper Beam!" The attack come suddenly, but by now, Pikachu and the others were use to this as they attacked at once, neutralizing his attack. An attack like that could have devastating effects. "I see…" Rayquaza said. "Then you all are willing to delay the inevitable."

Unfortunately, most of their attacks would be resisted, due to Rayquaza's type. "Guys, it's probably best to stay out of this one for now," Pikachu said. "Let Absol and I take care of this one, while you take care of his attacks! Thunderbolt!" He then unleashed a large

"Razor Wind!" Absol cried out, unleashing his attack.

The two attacks hit Rayquaza, but as was expected, it didn't faze him too much. "You will have to do much better than that to defeat me," Rayquaza boasted. "I will give you a taste of true power. Dragon Pulse!" Using his strongest attack, Rayquaza shot a large tealish-green sphere at both Pikachu and Absol. However, Piplup, Vulpix, and Blaziken used their attacks to weaken it, and then Pikachu used Iron Tail to send the attack straight back at Rayquaza, which hit him straight in the face. "You imbeciles!" Rayquaza then flew into the air and came down right before using Dragon Claw on both Pikachu and Absol, sending them both back.

"You okay?" Pikachu asked Absol while getting up.

"I've had worse," Absol said, getting up as well. "Now, let's try this again but this time, I have an idea. Razor Wind!"

"Volt Tackle!" Pikachu cried out, charging forward and hitting Rayquaza head on.

Rayquaza now looked frustrated. "I've had enough of this!" He then rose into the air higher. "It is time to put this nuance to an end!" He then summoned the largest Dragon Pulse that could be produced.

"Oh crap…" Pikachu then said.

"You wanna try this strategy again?" Absol asked.

"I guess so…" Pikachu said, while Rayquaza sent the large sphere towards them. "A little help here guys…"

"Not to worry!" Piplup said. "BubbleBeam!"

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix cried out.

"The rest is up to you Pikachu," Absol then said.

Blaziken then took a hold of Pikachu. "Alley-oop!" he said, chucking Pikachu straight into the air. Pikachu, knowing if he missed this chance, they were all as good as dead. His tail started glowing white as he prepared Iron Tail and as the sphere came at him, using all the strength he had, he connected his tail with it, and managed to send the sphere flying back.

Rayquaza then had a look of pure shock. "Impossible…" he managed to say before getting hit directly by the attack. He then fell back towards the ground and crashed onto it in a crumpled heap.

"Holy shit…" the four trainers managed to say, not even sure to explain what had just happened.

Pikachu, meanwhile, stared at his paws. _"Did…I do that by myself?" _he thought. _"Who would've known I would be so strong?"_

"Are all of you okay?" Ash then said, going up to them. Like his partner, he was just as amazed by the strength Pikachu apparently had. There were murmurs and nods. He then looked to Pikachu. "You alright buddy?"

"Ash… this isn't normal," Pikachu then said. "I… don't know how I did what I just did."

"Maybe you're just much stronger than you had previously thought?" Brock suggested. It made sense, since Pikachu was able to beat three other legendaries, with the help of his friends of course.

"Well, it's beneficial for us, I can tell you that," May said with a wink.

"I… guess so," Pikachu said.

Soon, after a series of groans, Rayquaza then opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. "What… what is going on?" He then looked at the Pokemon and their trainers. "Did I… attack you all?"

"You were under Sirius' control Rayquaza," Pikachu said. "You attacked against your will."

"My apologies," Rayquaza said. "It's true, a human named Sirius came here before. But he had powers no mere human could possess." He then chuckled, or at least what seemed to be a chuckle. "Sirius came for me first before Groudon and Kyogre, mostly because what they would've done would have attracted my attention. Other than living in the ozone layer and protecting the planet from space material, my job is to end the quarrels between Groudon and Kyogre. The planet is the way it is now due to my interference and finally marking peace between them. I assume they are back to normal as well?"

"Yes, as well as Lugia," Ash said. "But it isn't over yet, is it?"

"No it isn't," Rayquaza said. "In Sinnoh, there are three deities: Palkia, the deity of space; Dialga, the deity of time; and Giratina, the Guardian of the Reverse World. However, they live in different dimensions, but Spear Pillar will probably be the place to go, on Mt. Coronet."

"Sinnoh… that's north of Kanto, isn't it?" Brock said.

"That's also where Dawn lives!" Ash said, realizing before that she had told him where she was from.

"Yes, it is north of here," Rayquaza said. "But I warn you, those three Pokemon are powerful, so you must not lose focus. The darkness is fading slightly, but peace will not return until that darkness is gone for good…" He then smiled. "I see you all have climbed quite a long ways to reach her. Get on my back, I'll take you back down to the foot of the mountain. Consider it my way of saying thanks."

* * *

After Rayquaza returned them to the bottom of Sky Pillar, the group returned to the boat. "So, how long will it take to reach Sinnoh?" May asked.

"From here, probably a couple hours or so," Brock said. "Of course, we'll have to refuel and get some food at some point."

"Sinnoh…" Piplup said, sighing slightly. "I can remember growing up there. The memories, good and bad, I could never forget. It'll be good to go back home."

Pikachu then looked to his trainer. "So, this is it, isn't it?"

"Yep," Ash replied. "Once we save those three legendaries, we can finally go help Dawn. Hold on a little longer Dawn."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Paul was not in one of the best moods. He had spent the past couple of days trying to get in contact with Dawn, but no luck. Every time he tried to call her, he was told her line was disconnected. To make matters worse, she had never checked back into the hotel. He had alerted the police, but so far no one has been able to find her. He had finally decided to give up and return back to Sinnoh. He would have to tell her mother the grave news.

While he was waiting at the train station with Electabuzz, he suddenly got a call on his cell phone. The number he didn't recognize but thought it was best to answer it. "Hello?" he then said.

"This is Paul, correct?" a voice then said on the other line, male and somewhat deep.

"Who wants to know?" Paul said, his tone of voice showing that he wasn't in the mood for games.

"You've been looking for a girl, Dawn Berlitz, right?" the voice then said.

Paul's face then went from normal to shock. "Yes, but how did you-"

"I know where she might be, though I can't be 100% sure about it," the voice said.

"Well, just tell me and I'll try finding her," Paul then said, sounding somewhat desperate.

"Before I do that, I need you to do me a favor," the voice then said. "I think you know the process. Anyway, you're familiar with Ash Ketchum, right?"

"I am," Paul replied. "He was last seen with her. Why do you ask?"

"Strange that she disappeared after she left with him," the voice said. "He could've done something to her. But anyway, I need you to get rid of him for me, since he's causing trouble for me as well."

"And you will tell me where Dawn is?" Paul asked.

"You have my number, call me once you got that taken care of," the voice then said. "He'll be on his way to Sinnoh, you'll be able to meet up with him. If there's anyone with him, don't worry about them, unless things get hostile."

"Very well, I'll take care of him then," Paul replied, somewhat coldly. He didn't really seem to like that Ketchum kid anyway. He then hung up the phone.

Electabuzz, who had heard the conversation, stared at him gravely. "You're not actually gonna try to kill him, are you?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to find Dawn," Paul replied. He then got up as the train arrived and walked a couple steps before turning back to glance at him. "And you're going to help me do this whether you like it or not."

* * *

The "voice", who had actually been Sirius, hung up the phone and had a wide smile on his face. "All too easy," he said. It was the beginning of his new plans, although more of a back-up plan for what he had planned. _"I think she'll be up to the task," _he then thought. _"She has quite the reputation of getting things done, usually by killing."  


* * *

_

(A/N: And we'll end it right here! As Sirius implies, there will not just be one, but two other main characters introduced into this story. I can't give the names away yet, but you'll see soon enough. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'm serious, I will really try to get this done this summer, so wish me luck.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	16. Another Side, Another Story

(A/N: Okay, before we start this off, I have a song here for this part. The name of the song is "Villains of a Sort" from Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. Speaking of which, SEPTEMBER 7TH PEOPLE! So, like I've said before, we meet two new main characters in this story.)

* * *

Chapter 16: Another Side, Another Story

Upon returning to his lair, Sirius was deep in thought. _"It seems at this point that the legendaries will fall out of my hand one by one," _he thought. _"There's only one thing left I have planned." _He then sat down on his chair and called out, "Emma."

*There was then a small black portal that appeared and out of it came a Pichu. She then bowed in front of Sirius. "You called me my lord?" she then asked.

"I have a special task for you," Sirius said. "A trainer and his Pikachu are causing trouble for me. I feel if the Pikachu was… taken care of… it would hopefully demoralize the trainer from trying to stop me."

"Very well, I will take care of this Pikachu," Emma said, a slight smirk on her face. "I won't let you down."

"I know," Sirius said. He then got up and took what looked like some sort of communicator and threw it to her. "Use this. Once you get in touch with the trainer and his friends, I want you to contact me as soon as you can. They will soon be reaching Sinnoh, at Canalave City. And remember, it would be wise to settle with the group before you take any actions."

"Understood," Emma said, catching it in her paws. "I'm used to these sorts of missions."

"Don't let me down Emma," Sirius said before she left. "You have quite the reputation…"

* * *

Soon, Emma appeared just outside of Canalave City, next to where Lake Verity was. Above the lake was a small cliff and this was where Emma sat down, right on the edge.

"You're early." She then turned around and her friend Lex, who was a Luxio, behind her, walking up next to her.

"Nope, you're just late," Emma replied as Lex sat down next to her. She then smiled slightly. "I didn't think you would be coming here today."

"Why wouldn't I?" Lex replied with a smile as well. "With the amount of days it's been, I've the time memorized into my head. But I get the feeling you can't stay here for long…"

"No," Emma said. "Sirius has a mission for me. You know, the usual stuff, but this one seems to be important. Apparently a bunch of humans and their Pokemon are giving him some trouble."

"I've heard about that," Lex said. "I see… he wants you to go undercover…"

"Looks like it," Emma said. "They'll be in Canalave City soon, so I have to be ready…"

"Any ideas?" Lex asked.

"Might have one," Emma replied, grinning. "Hope you don't mind being held captive by a bunch of Sirius' henchmen…"

"Oh you're too kind…" Lex said, causing both of them to start laughing. Even if they were on the other side, it didn't mean they were necessarily evil. At least, not once you really got to know them.

Emma sighed and got up. "I have to head towards the outskirts of Canalave. Wish me luck…"

"Well, hope it doesn't take too long then," Lex said, getting up as well. "Maybe I'll come visit you if I get the chance." He then disappeared. Emma then tried deciding if she should walk or teleport there. She could always use the exercise, so that's what she decided.

_My name is Emma and this is my story. It wasn't always like this, me and Lex being part of Lord Sirius' revolution to change the world. It was actually Sirius himself who had rescued me. I was orphaned at a young age, and was practically left to die. I could remember that day so well…  
_

_

* * *

_(A/N: Okay, second song of the chapter. The song here is called "Trail of Blood" from Final Fantasy VII.)_  


* * *

_

*Flashback*

_*Emma was climbing up a large hill. The sky and weather represented her current situation, with it being dark, cloudy, and a slight chill. Once getting to the top, Emma fell on her knees, panting. She was weak with hunger, not being able to find food for almost two days. Unfortunately, things were about to get worse._

"_Well, look at what we got here," a voice then rang out. Emma looked behind her and saw three Pokemon; one a Machamp, the second one a Hariyama, and the other a Toxicroak. "Looks like we got ourselves a poor little girl stranded in the middle of nowhere," the Machamp said._

"_I have to admit, even for a young one, she's pretty good-looking," the Hariyama said._

"_I wouldn't mind having some fun with her…" the Toxicroak said, grinning._

"_Please…" Emma said weakly as they came closer towards her. "Just leave me alone…"_

"_Sorry dear, but I'm afraid we can't do that," the Machamp said. All of a sudden, an attack came out of nowhere and hit it straight in the head, knocking him straight to the ground. It looked like a Dark Void attack._

"_I suggest you take your pleasures elsewhere," another voice said. Emma looked behind her and saw a human male coming up towards them._

"_Human, you have no business here," Hariyama said._

"_Nor do you have any Pokemon to help protect you," Toxicroak added._

"_I don't need any, since I just took out your leader," the human said. "Looks like he may be dead, so unless you want to end up like him, I suggest leaving now." The other two didn't have to be told twice and quickly got the hell out of dodge._

_Emma looked up at the man as he came up to her. "My name is Sirius," he said. "Come with me, this isn't the place for a Pokemon such as yourself…"_

_Little did I know at the time what my future would turn into…being an "agent" for Sirius, killing off any traitors or those who opposed them. Like the old saying, "Looks can be deceiving", size could be deceiving as well… Of course, it wasn't that easy to get where I am now, for I had to endure in hard training._

*Flashback*

_Three months later…_

"_You were weak when I found you," Sirius said, as Emma stood before him, kneeling. "Now your hatred and anger has made you stronger. You embrace it, and it has made you who you are now."_

"_Thank you, Lord Sirius," Emma said, her head down. "I am grateful… for everything…"_

"_But your work is not done yet," Sirius said. "You have only a few more tests to complete, and then you shall be worthy to stand by my side. Can you accomplish this?"_

"_I will do anything that is given to me," Emma said._

"_Good, then let us begin…" Sirius said, a smirk on his face.  
_

_As I found out, I was much stronger, stronger than the usual Pichu, for I had adapted to my attacks, and they no longer affected me as much. Most of the last tests weren't as hard as before, but it seemed Sirius saved the best for last. At the time, we didn't have as many supporters of his cause, but we were still seen as a threat. A small group of Pokemon in Ilex Forest in Johto, was gathering supporters to overthrow us and kill Sirius. However, instead of dealing it himself, he sent me undercover, part of my final test. It didn't end up going the way I planned, but I remember that was when I first met Lex._

_

* * *

_

(A/N: Okay, for the possible second to last song, we have "Gym Leader Battle/Elite 4 Battle" from Pokemon HeartGold/Soulsilver.)

* * *

*Flashback*

_*Emma jumped back, breathing heavily. _"Not looking good," _she thought. _"I'm almost out of energy and I've only been able to take out half their group. They're tougher than I thought…" _She used Thunder once again on her foes, but they didn't go down as easy, much due to her lack of power. It was no good, she would either die or looked as a failure to Lord Sirius' eyes; she couldn't accept either._

_All of a sudden, a Charge Beam attack came out of nowhere, hitting her opponents together and frying them to a crisp. Emma looked around but didn't see her savior. "Come on Emma, I thought you were stronger than that." A portal suddenly appeared and a Luxio came out._

"_Lex?" Emma said, surprised. She had met Lex before, but they had never talked. In fact, she was surprised _he _was talking to _her_. _

"_Surprised to see me?" Lex said with a small smile on his face. "I had a feeling you would be in trouble so I came by to check up on you."_

"_You've been spying on me!" Emma snapped. All of a sudden, her mood changed to fear. "Wait, did Sirius send you? Does he know you're here!"_

"_Relax, I came here myself," Lex said. "And no, Sirius doesn't know… unless you want me to tell him I took care of _your _mission."_

"_No!" Emma cried out, but she was surprised to see Lex burst out laughing. She then got upset again. "You jerk! You were joking around, weren't you?"_

"_Maybe…" Lex said. "But aren't you glad I just showed up when I did?"_

"…_Yes," Emma said. "Thank you Lex…" All of a sudden, she found herself blushing and turned away._

"_You should head back and see Sirius," Lex said. "I'll stay here and… take care of the stragglers if there are any…"  
_

_Lex saved my life that day, and said nothing about it to Sirius, so he had assumed I accomplished my mission myself. After that, Lex and I became good friends and then came the final ceremony, for having finally completing my training.  
_

_

* * *

(A/N: Okay, final song of the chapter. This here is called "Extraction" from Final Fantasy IX.)  


* * *

_

*Flashback*

_*Emma walked up the large amount of steps to where Sirius sat, waiting for her. She had noticed Lex out of the corner of her eye, who then gave her a wink. Once getting to the top, she kneeled in front of Sirius, who then got up._

"_Emma, you stand here now, stronger than you had been three months previously," Sirius said. "You have proved yourself that you are indeed strong and as you get older, you will continue to gain your strength." He then kneeled down to where she was and reached out his hand, which had a weird mark on it. He pressed his hand into her forehead and pulled it back, leaving the same mark on her forehead. "This mark proves how valuable you are, and how strong a fighter you are. Although the mark will fade, it will still reside inside you, as a reminder of how far you have come. Welcome Emma, we expect great things from you, and with your help, we shall make this world a better place…"  
_

_

* * *

_

Emma continued on her journey towards the city. She was glad she made the decision she had made, for it felt good to walk around instead of constantly teleporting. However, she noticed something and then stopped. She shook her head in displeasure and said, "You can stop hiding and come out."

A portal appeared and out came a Weavile. "I see your skills are as sharp as ever," he said acidly. "That's too bad…"

"Malakye, what do you want?" Emma said, glaring at him.

"Oh, just to see how my favorite Pichu was doing," Malakye responded, almost sarcastically.

"Cut the crap, you're spying on me, aren't you?" Emma snapped, obviously not in the mood for games.

"You think you're all that because in your mind you think you're Sirius' little favorite," Malakye said, now upset. "Well guess what dear? You're just expendable; Sirius can find someone new if you happen to die."

"I see we're jealous," Emma said, a smirk on her face. "A little immature, especially coming from you."

Malakye bared his fangs. "Have your laugh, but I have my own things to do. And just remember, get in my way and I will kill you."

"Is that so?" Emma replied, enjoying this game. "You must feel overconfident if you think you can beat me that easily."

"Hmph, we'll see about that," Malakye said before disappearing.

"Yeah… we'll see…" Emma replied, before continuing on towards Canalave.

* * *

(A/N: And this will end Chapter 16! Wow, I got this done quicker than I thought. Oh well, not like any of you are complaining. XD So… hope you enjoyed the chapter and before I forget, here are the VA's for these new characters:

Emma – Hayden Panettiere

Lex – Quinton Flynn

Malakye – Ryan O'Donohue)

FoxMcCloud7921


	17. Settling In Nicely

(A/N: Hello all! Before we start this, we have, you guessed it, another song! This one here, since we're now in Sinnoh, is called "Route 209" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.)

* * *

Chapter 17: Settling In Nicely

Upon reaching the limits of Canalave City, Emma took a deep breath. She wasn't used to acting out of character; she was definitely mature for her age. But for now, all she could do was wait. She had the perfect plan, and now it was time to put the pieces in place.

* * *

*Soon, Ash and the others finally arrived in Canalave City in Sinnoh. It was definitely a busy port, with many people coming and going. "So, this is Sinnoh huh?" Ash then said.

"It's similar, but at the same time it's different from Kanto," Brock added.

"We should probably look for a map while we're here," May said.

They then went through the city and soon were able to get themselves a map. "Ah Sinnoh, how I missed it," Piplup said, sighing happily. "Twinleaf Town is not too far from here."

"Dawn's mom is there, isn't she?" Ash asked.

"Yeah," Piplup replied, suddenly frowning.

"You don't want to tell her, do you?" Pikachu asked.

"I don't know…" Piplup replied again. "It would be best… if we didn't disturb her with the news. She's gone through enough as is." Piplup sighed again. It wasn't easy being separated from your trainer. "Actually, Jubilife City would be quicker to get to…"

"Say, maybe we should get some lunch while we're here," Drew said.

"Sounds good to me!" Ash said happily, causing everyone else to sweatdrop.

"Guess Ash only has two things on his mind," May muttered. "Training and food."

"Yep…" Pikachu replied.

After getting some food and some much needed rest at the Pokemon Center, they finally headed out to Twinleaf Town next.

"According to the map, Mt. Coronet is close to Oreburgh City, which is just after Jubilife City," Brock said, while looking at the map.

"Guess that means we still got quite a ways to go then," Absol commented. Meanwhile, as they were leaving the city limits, little did they know that they were being watched.

"_Well it's about time," _Emma said in her head, peering through the trees. _"Now to make my move…"_

As the group continued on, they then heard a cry of help. "What is that?" Pikachu then said. All of a sudden, they saw a small Pichu running towards them.

"Please! You must help me!" she said, running towards them.

"Whoa, slow down!" Ash then said. "What's going on?"

The Pichu then stopped and breathed heavily. (Of course, it was all set up.) "My name is Emma. My friend… is in danger…" she said.

"Who's in danger?" Pikachu asked. She looked up into his eyes and almost froze.

_When I had first laid my eyes on Pikachu, there was something about him; something familiar… despite the fact I had never met him before. _

"His name is Lex," she then said. Using her friend's name was risky, but she wasn't worried. "We were playing around this area, close to the city but then a huge flock of Staraptor came out of nowhere and captured him. They tried to catch me as well, but I managed to escape."

"Aw, that's terrible!" May said, coming over and picking her up. "You poor thing… she's really cute."

"To you, everything is cute," Drew muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean!" May snapped. "For your information, I have my exceptions!"

"Where did they take him?" Ash said, ignoring the other two as they argued.

_Shit. _She hadn't quite come up with that. Time to come up with something quick. "They were heading north, I think," she then said.

"That must mean they're heading towards… Snowpoint City," Brock said.

However, Piplup was suspicious. "They were heading up the mountain?" he said.

"I believe so," Emma said.

Piplup then jumped down and looked at her. "Funny, because usually Staraptor don't flock towards places where it's cold," he said.

"_Damn him, he's rather smart," _Emma thought, realizing her major error. "Well… it might not have been all the way there then."

"_Something's fishy here…" _Piplup thought.

"I'm sorry," Emma then said. "It had happened so fast."

"It's fine," Ash said. "Besides, we'll help you find him."

"You mean it?" Emma asked. _Perfect._

"Of course," Pikachu replied with a smile. "No doubt those Staraptor were working for Sirius."

"I appreciate it," Emma said. "And… I hope you're not in a big hurry."

"As a matter of fact, we are," Piplup said rather rudely. He then looked to Ash. "We can't forget about Dawn, Ash."

"I know," Ash said. "So let's just hope we find this Lex quick then."

"_Dawn?" _Emma thought. _"Hmm…guess she must some human Lord Sirius has hostage." _"Once again, you have my thanks," she said. "And… it will be alright if I join you?"

"Of course," May said, holding her close. "We'll make sure you're safe." It was strange, Emma never had real contact with humans before, but she could tell this human was compassionate, as well as the others. If only they knew…

"Well, for right now, the only way we can go is to Jubilife City," Brock said. "So let's try to get there before nightfall.

They continued walking, while Emma kept her eyes close on Pikachu. "_Step one, complete."  


* * *

_(A/N: Okay, for this next part, we have the perfect song that'll fit the mood. The name of the song is "Anxious Heart" from the "Final Fantasy VII OST Remastered" Album. Trust me, you'll find it.)

* * *

After a couple of hours, the group finally made it to Jubilife, which as they found out, was the largest city in Sinnoh. Soon, as it became nighttime, they found themselves a place to stay and got a room.

*Once everyone was asleep, Emma opened her eyes and looked around; making sure everything and everyone was still. She then got up and then went to the door and was able to open it quietly before slipping out. Once she found a safe enough distance and corner, she then took the transmitter Sirius gave her and placed it on the ground in front of her.

Soon, a light started to glow and a holographic projection appeared in the form of Sirius. "Emma," he said, nodding. "I assume your mission is going as planned?"

"Yes," Emma replied. "I am with them now."

"Good," Sirius said. "Do any of them suspect anything?"

"Just one, that stupid Piplup," Emma said, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. "But I have it under control. My lord, forgive me for not saying this earlier, but I believe before I make my move, I will have to give some time to settle in and earn the group's trust."

"I understand," Sirius said. "But will you at least try to lure them away from Mt. Coronet?"

"I am working on a plan to do so," Emma said. "If worse comes to worse, I will just have to execute my plan ahead of schedule."

"Very well," Sirius said. All of a sudden, a figure appeared close to where Sirius was. "Ah, Lex. I'm glad you're here."

"You summoned me, Lord Sirius?" Lex said over the transmitter.

"I have a job for you, which I will discuss after this," Sirius said. He then turned back to Emma. "Now Emma, keep a close eye on that Pikachu, as well as the Piplup. And remember, you know what needs to be done if you're compromised."

"Indeed," Emma replied with a bit of a smirk.

"Excellent," Sirius said. "Now, contact me in two days to update your status." The hologram then disappeared and the transmitter turned off. Emma then took it and put it away. All she could do now was wait and see.

She then started heading back towards the room but then stopped suddenly when she saw Pikachu in front of her. Convenient, yet unsuspected. She knew she couldn't do anything yet. "Hey Emma," he then said, acknowledging her. "Can't sleep either?"

"Um… no," she said, walking over to him.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, here's another song for all of you! And the last one of the chapter as well. The name of the song is "Where I Belong" from Final Fantasy VIII.)

* * *

"I don't blame you," Pikachu said, looking out into the night sky. "Losing your friend like that, it's rough. Just like Ash and Dawn."

"Who is this Dawn?" Emma asked.

*"She was someone Ash and I met while we were traveling. She's Piplup's trainer. She was rather nice and sweet. And well… to be honest, I think Ash likes her."

"What happened to her?" Emma asked, though she knew the answer.

"Well, that was when Sirius showed up," Pikachu continued. "She took an attack that was meant for Piplup and she then disappeared. We were worried, but found out she's still alive. However… I'm not sure how much longer she has. I can't tell who's suffering worse: Piplup or Ash."

"I'm sorry," Emma replied. "She… must sound like a nice human."

"Yeah," Pikachu said. He then turned and looked at her. "What about you? Tell me about yourself."

"Oh…" It was strange. She rarely told others about herself. She had only been able to open herself up to Lex. "Well, there's not really much about me I guess. My parents disappeared when I was younger. And well, I've been pretty much alone for much of my life so far."

"You still have Lex though, right?" Pikachu asked.

"Oh. Yeah," Emma replied, blushing slightly. "Indeed, he's the only friend I have now."

"Are we friends?" Pikachu asked.

The question made Emma laugh. She didn't know how it made her laugh, but it did. "Yeah, I think so. If that's alright with you."

"Of course," Pikachu said, smiling. He then got up and yawned. "Well, I think my tiredness has returned. I better get some sleep. You as well."

"Yep,' Emma replied. "And Pikachu?"

"Yeah?" Pikachu replied.

"Thanks," Emma said. It was weird saying that to one of her victims. But, deep down, she meant it. "I've never really had anyone ask about me before."

"No problem," Pikachu replied again. He then smiled and went up to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Night Emma."

He then went inside, leaving Emma there, her face red from the amount of blushing. _"Does he…like me?"  


* * *

_

(A/N: And we'll end it right there! XD I know, what an ending, right? If you only knew the truth… but I won't say anything about it. Nope! Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and I believe next chapter will be when things start to get interesting again. Until then, keep that sun-block ready at all times this summer!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	18. Loyalty Tested

Chapter 18: Loyalty Tested

Dawn was lying on the floor, cuddling herself into a ball to keep warm. She was cold, and feeling weak. She wasn't sure how long it has been… hours, days, weeks… She had lost track of the time. "What am I going to do?" she whispered weakly. "Is it… too late for me?"

All of a sudden she heard a voice in her head. _"Dawn…you can't lose hope now…" _it said. _"Your friends are coming to help you."_

"My friends?" Dawn said. "You mean Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup?"

"_And others," _the voice said. _"Don't worry, I will make sure you are safe…"_

All of a sudden, Dawn felt warmness in her chest and her strength returning. "I… feel better now," Dawn said, sitting up. "Wait, who are you?" However, there was no answer. She then got to her feet and then sighed. "Well… thank you at least."

She then heard footsteps and quickly ran towards the door. "Hello!" she then cried out. "Is there anyone there?"

"Huh?" a voice then said. "Is there someone in there?"

"Yes," Dawn said. "Can you help me?"

"Hold on, you might want to stand back," the voice said. Dawn did so and suddenly a Luxio appeared in front of her. "Wait… a human?"

"Um… yes," Dawn said. "Who are you?"

"My name is Lex," Lex said. "And you are…?"

"Dawn," she replied. "I didn't expect any Pokemon to be here."

"I would say the same for you," Lex said. He then looked around the room. "Why are you here?"

"I don't know," Dawn then said, looking down sadly. "I was with my friends and then, a man appeared and he was about to attack Piplup, my Pokemon, and I got in front of him and next thing I knew I was here."

"I see," Lex said. "Wait… was there a trainer and a Pikachu with you?"

"Yeah," Dawn replied. "How did you know?"  


* * *

(A/N: And we have here another song! Yay! The song here is called "Discovery in Sadness" from Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus.)

* * *

_*"Now it makes sense…" _Lex thought. _"The same trainer and Pokemon Emma is with right now is this girl's friends." _"Well… it was kind of a guess…"

"I see," Dawn said. She then sat back down. "You're with them, aren't you?"

Lex was a bit surprised how she figured it out so quickly, but nevertheless, he smiled slightly. "Yes," he said. "Wait… how long have you been here?"

"Probably a couple days," Dawn replied.

"And you've just been left here alone!" Lex said, shocked. Were they just gonna leave her here to die? "Hold on…" he then disappeared, but would soon return with a bushel of Oran Berries. He then laid them at her feet. "I can bring more, if you want."

"Thank you, you're sweet," Dawn said, smiling. She then took a berry and ate it. "You may be on their side, but at least you're willing to help me."

"I won't lie, I'm not really supposed to be here," Lex said.

"Do you have to go?" Dawn said. "It's just… I could use a friend right now."

Lex hesitated. "Well… I suppose… I can stay for a short while…"

Dawn smiled and then laid down on her side. "Thank you, Lex." She then closed her eyes and soon found herself asleep.

Lex sighed, looking at her. He had sympathy for her; she didn't ask to be here, especially like this. He then walked over and laid down next to her. However Dawn, in her sleep, then put her arm around him and pulled him closer, causing him to blush slightly.

"_This feeling…" _he then thought. _"I haven't… felt it in the longest time…" _He then smiled and laid down as well. "Dawn…" he then whispered.

* * *

The next morning, the group left Jubilife City towards Oreburgh City. "We'll head to Oreburgh and see if perhaps we can find your friend," Brock told Emma. "If not, then we can try going north close to where Eterna City is."

"I understand," Emma said. _"I'm running out of time. Soon I'll have no choice but to execute my plan once the time is right."_

Meanwhile Piplup, who was with Pikachu upfront, was keeping an eye on the Pichu. "Something on your mind?" Pikachu asked.

"I don't know," Piplup said. "Something just… feels fishy here. The second we get to Sinnoh and _she _shows up. Kind of strange, don't you think?"

"Well, maybe it is a bit strange," Pikachu replied. "But come on, does she really look like the type who would work for Sirius?"

"Looks can be deceiving," Piplup said. "I don't know Pikachu. I've got a bad feeling about this…"

Pikachu all of a sudden felt a chill running down his spine, but it wasn't from what Piplup said. It was almost like… he was being watched. His ears clearly detected something, but he couldn't see or hear anything unusual. Maybe his nerves were just on high. But still, it almost seemed like someone was tracking his movements and only his.

After some hours of walking, they had finally reached Oreburgh City, which contrasted drastically with Jubilife. Where Jubilife was more modern with the technology it had, Oreburgh seemed to flourish more on industry, with mines surrounding the entire city. Nevertheless, it was almost like any usual city. With the day still young, it gave them an opportunity to travel more, after getting some food and supplies. They were very close to Mt. Coronet, but because of Emma's "situation", they had to head north towards Eterna City.

"I'm sorry for delaying your journey," Emma said sadly.

"It's okay," May said, who throughout the day was holding her. "There might be another way up the mountain the way we're going."

"Let's hope so," Ash added.

And once more, they continued on route towards Eterna City. Unfortunately, the route was longer meaning they would have to travel a farther distance. The journey was starting to become quite dull but soon night and the group finally got some rest. Later on in the night, Pikachu still found himself wide awake. He sighed and got up while shaking his head slightly. Was his paranoia getting to him? He then decided perhaps it would be best to take a walk, which would hopefully tire him out.

He made sure to stay out where the moon was shining to help guide his way, but it wasn't helping at all. He then sighed in frustration. "Why am I all of a sudden so anxious?" he then said out loud. He knew it was hard to trust anyone due to Sirius' spies, and he also knew no matter where they were they were being watched. "But why are they waiting?" Pikachu then whispered. "Unless… it's supposed to happen like this: we come to them…"

"Apparently something is bothering you."

Pikachu looked around quickly and got into his stance. "Who's there?"

Suddenly a dark portal appeared and out came a Weavile. "Someone who may be able to help you out," he said.

"Who are you?" Pikachu asked, relaxing only slightly.

"Name's Malakye," the Weavile said. "Actually, I'm glad we're alone, means we'll be able to talk in peace."

"Talk?" Pikachu asked.

"Exactly," Malakye said, walking over to him. "You'll have to forgive me for my rudeness before. I… had to make sure I kept an eye on you."

"So I _was _being watched!" Pikachu said angrily. "So you're with Sirius and watching our every move."

"Yes and no," Malakye said. "True, I am with Sirius but I was not spying on you. I came to ask you of something."

"Then answer this first," Pikachu said. "Where's Dawn?"

"Oh, you mean the human?" Malakye asked. "Yes, she found her way back to our… headquarters. Last time I checked she was still alive, but… I cannot be sure of that now."

"You bastard!" Pikachu growled.

"Now, now," Malakye said almost impatiently. "You have not heard me out yet. As we've seen, you are powerful Pikachu. Your skills would be a great asset to Lord Sirius."

"And explain to me why you think I would even want to join your side, the side that kidnapped my friend," Pikachu said.

"Have you ever wondered why so many Pokemon joined with Sirius?" Malakye said. "I shall tell you. Humans differ greatly from us. Their minds are only on three things: greed, power, and domination. They are willing to use Pokemon against their own poor wills for the greater good of humans. And yet, it would not matter what happens to the Pokemon, they are not important."

"Not all humans are like that Malakye," Pikachu said. "Look at my friends, they care about Pokemon as much as anyone else."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, here's what we're gonna do. This is gonna be one of those parts where we have two songs accompanying each other. First, we're starting off with "Face It!" from Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories and then "Deep Space Battle" from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep.)

* * *

"Maybe, but that's only them," Malakye said. He then moved closer and put his arm around Pikachu. "Maybe this might convince you," he then whispered into Pikachu's ear. "Sirius will be willing to spare your friends if you help us. Then, with your help, we can help make this world a better place for everyone."

Pikachu just closed his eyes and smiled while shaking his head. "You just don't get it, do you?" he said. He then opened his eyes. "Do you really think I would help you with accomplishing human genocide. You're just as insane as Sirius."

"I see convincing you is out of the question now," Malakye said, walking away. "Very well. I didn't want to fight you… *He then turned around. "But I can't go against Sirius' orders now, can I!"

All of a sudden, the area around them turned black until Pikachu could only see himself and Malakye. "What did you do!" he demanded.

"I merely just sent us to another dimension," Malakye said. *His claws then shot out of his paws. "However, this place shall be your grave Pikachu!" He then launched forward, using Metal Claw but Pikachu dodged the attack and used Iron Tail, which Malakye tried to block with the same attack as before but was knocked back. Getting up, he then used Dark Pulse, which grazed Pikachu as he attempted to dodge the attack again. He grimaced at the pain and then used Thunderbolt, which ended up hitting him directly.

Malakye jumped back, holding his arm. "You're stronger than I thought," he said. He then summoned a Shadow Ball. "But I can't stop until you either think twice about your loyalties or are eliminated." Suddenly, a Charge Beam attack appeared but Malakye dodged it just in time. "What the-!"

"That's enough Malakye!" A portal appeared and out came Lex.

"Lex!" Malakye growled. "Must you always be meddling in important affairs?"

"What are you doing here?" Lex asked. "You never told me you had plans for this."

"That's none of your business!" Malakye snarled. "I had my orders, in case you didn't know." But what orders were that? It was sad, seeing the two confronting one another. At one point, the two were actually friends, but it seemed once Emma came along that friendship ripped itself apart.

*Flashback*

"_You really think this is right?" Lex asked. He and Malakye were speaking in a confined room._

"_I never expected you to question it," Malakye answered. "Sirius has become exasperated from the recent events. Lugia, Groudon, and now Kyogre have been freed from his power and I suspect Sirius is starting to become worried. That this "group" of trainers and their Pokemon are more powerful than previously thought. It seems Emma might be put up to the task."_

"_You're jealous of her, aren't you?" Lex asked._

"_Jealous?" Malakye said. He then chuckled slightly. "Maybe, but I can see why Sirius chose her."_

"_What do you mean?" Lex asked._

"_Before, Emma had been sent out to kill certain targets," Malakye said. "But, if this happens to be Emma's first undercover mission, it will be the first time she will have a victim who cares for her and would be willing to protect her. She isn't used to this. If she is not careful, her thoughts will betray her and it may cost her."_

"_So…Sirius could potentially be setting her up then?" Lex asked. If this was true, then Emma had to make her choices carefully or else it could cost her dearly._

"Of course, why am I not surprised?" Lex said calmly. "Leave now Malakye." Malakye snarled in frustration and soon disappeared. He then looked over at Pikachu. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Pikachu said. "Thank you… um…"

"Lex," Lex said with a small smile. "Don't worry about it, I should've figured he was up to something."

"You know him?" Pikachu asked. "Wait a minute, are you one of Sirius' agents as well?" He then got into his stance, glaring at Lex.

"Calm down," Lex said. "I'm not your enemy but… I guess in this case I'm not exactly your friend as well. Besides, I wouldn't have interfered if I wanted you dead."

"Well, I probably would've been able to take care of him myself," Pikachu replied.

"Very true," Lex said, causing both of them to laugh. "Anyway, I may be on the other side, but I can give you some helpful information. There's a girl named Dawn. You know her?"

"Of course!" Pikachu said, surprised. "She's the one we're looking for."

"Well, I can assure you as of now she's alright," Lex said reassuringly. "I… unexpectedly ran into her. She's unfortunately in another dimension, but I'm looking after her secretly."

"Good," Pikachu said. "Can you take us to her?"

Lex hesitated. As much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't ruin Emma's mission. Besides, he would be marked as a traitor and would be killed. But… would it even matter if in the end he was helping Dawn?. "I'm sorry… unfortunately it's not that easy," he said. "Besides, your current mission is important as well, no?"

"You're right," Pikachu said, sighing. "I'm not one to make offers, but can you promise me that you will look after her the best you can?"

"I will," Lex replied. "I… may have my reasons to be on Sirius' side but Dawn should have never been brought into this. Anyway, let's get out of here, shall we?" All of sudden, the darkness disappeared and the two found themselves in the same spot as before.

"Thank you," Pikachu replied. "Don't worry, I won't say anything about us meeting." He then stopped for a second. "Wait a minute… Lex? Are you friends with Emma?"

Lex's heart stopped. _"She didn't…" _he thought. _"She really went through with her plan…" _"Emma?" he asked. "Sorry, I'm not familiar with that name." He then turned around. "I must go now. It was nice meeting you Pikachu." He then disappeared.

Pikachu just stood there confused. "What is going on here?" he asked himself.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, as the second to last song here, the song here is "Aqua's Lucky Charms" from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep.)

* * *

However, Lex did not return back to headquarters. Instead, he only appeared back in a different area, as he had almost panicked for Emma being found out. _"Damn it Emma," _he said in his mind. _"You're just asking to be found out…"_

"What the hell were you thinking?" He then looked behind him and saw Emma glaring at him. "You had to give yourself away, didn't you?"

Lex looked down and sighed. "Emma, Malakye just tried to kill Pikachu."

"What?" Emma said. "He was here?"

"Yes," Lex replied. "If I hadn't intervened, Pikachu could have possibly been killed."

"Damn him…" Emma said. "I shouldn't known something like this would happen. I'll have to speak to Sirius about this."

*"Emma," Lex then said. "There's a human being captive back at HQ."

"Oh?" Emma asked. "I didn't know about it."

"Yes, and it happens to be the same girl that Pikachu and the others are looking for," Lex replied. He then moved closer to her. "Emma, is this really what it's come to? Taking humans prisoner and just leaving them to die?"

"Well, our mission is to rid of humans and make the world a better place for ourselves," Emma said. "That is what I know."

"But she's just a child," Lex said. "Compared to other humans, she loves Pokemon and would protect them."

Emma looked at him suspiciously. "You've talked to her, haven't you?"

"So what if I have?" Lex said, starting to become upset. "She was dying Emma! You think I could live with myself if I had done nothing!"

"So what are you saying Lex?" Emma snapped. "Are you willing to help them because of _her_? I would've thought you would think twice after what happened with-!" All of a sudden, she placed her paws over her mouth, shocked at what she said and what she was about to say, "Lex, I-!"

"No, you're right," Lex said, turning his back on her. "How could I even trust humans again after what they did to me? What a fool I must be…"

"Wait, Lex," Emma said.

"Don't follow me!" Lex snapped back at her, causing her to cringe. "The damage can't be undone now." He then sighed in frustration before disappearing. "Everything here sucks!"

After he had disappeared, Emma sighed miserably and looked down. "Yeah… it does…"  


* * *

(A/N: Alright, last song here. Name of this song is "Splinter of Sadness" from Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus.)

* * *

Once Lex returned to HQ, Emma's words still stuck in him. Unfortunately, it reminded of his past, the memories he wanted to forget…

*Flashback*

_*It was a cold day in Solaceon Town and young Peter was traveling home from school as usual. However, as he walked past the abandoned shacks, he then heard a whimpering. "Huh?" he then said, going over to where the whimpering was coming from. Looking under one of the shacks, he saw the source: a Shinx that was shivering from the cold. "A Shinx," he then said. "Are you okay?"_

"_My mom… disappeared," the Shinx said. "She's gone and I'm all alone."_

"_Hey," Peter then said. "You can live with me, if you want."_

"_Really?" the Shinx said, smiling and coming out. "Thank you."_

_Peter laughed. "Well, now that you're coming home with me, I'll have to give you a name." He then thought carefully. "How about Lex?"_

_The Shinx smiled. "Lex will do just fine…"_

_Lex's life had changed dramatically. If it had not been for Peter, he would have died. The first couple of months had gone well, but Peter's parents were not as willing to have Lex stay. He could remember the arguments well…_

"_But why can't I keep him!" Peter cried out. "He's my friend."_

"_He may not be safe Peter," his father had explained to him. "He came from the wild, and perhaps he stays there."_

_Soon, in a matter of days, Peter walked towards the grassy plains outside of Solaceon Town. "Where are we going Peter?" Lex asked._

_Once they reached the forest area, Peter finally spoke. "I'm sorry," he then said, putting him down. "I can't keep you anymore Lex. I don't want to do this, but I have no choice."_

_Lex looked at him, shocked. "But why?"_

_Peter looked down, the tears starting to form. "I'm sorry!" he said, before turning around and running off._

Lex closed his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek. _"Why Peter?" _he thought. _"Why did your parents hate me so much…?"  


* * *

_

(A/N: And that will do it! Holy cow this was a long chapter, and I got it done in record time! :D Well, maybe not record time but still… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and things will definitely get interesting next chapter. I can't say… but you will be surprised, I can assure you that. Until fellow comrades, keep that sunscreen nearby!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	19. Final Decision

Chapter 19: Final Decision

The next day, things seemed a bit more somber. Pikachu looked rather confused and Emma just looked downright miserable. Apparently last night wasn't such a good night. "Something bugging you Pikachu?" Ash asked his buddy who was on his shoulder.

"Huh?" Pikachu said, snapping out of his thoughts. "Oh, yeah, I'm alright, just had a hard time sleeping last night." And it was true, to say the least. He had remembered his encounter with Malakye and Lex.

"_Wait a minute… Lex? Are you friends with Emma?" Pikachu asked._

"_Emma?" Lex asked. "Sorry, I'm not familiar with that name." He then turned around. "I must go now. It was nice meeting you Pikachu." He then disappeared._

But how did he not know Emma? Unless, there were two possibilities. One, it might not have been the same person they were looking for. But then again, there can't be many Pokemon named Lex. Or two, it was possible when he was kidnapped, he was brainwashed into becoming a servant of Sirius, which seemed more possible. But then again, there was even a third possibility.

He looked over to where Emma was and remembered what Piplup had told him. But… it just didn't seem possible. _"No, I have no reason to be suspicious," _he thought. _"Should I ask her who Lex really is? Now that I think about it, she never did say who he was…"_

Meanwhile, Emma had her thoughts on the same Pokemon. _"Lex…" _she thought. _"How could I have said what I said to you?" _She knew she crossed the line and had no idea what Lex had gone through. Did he hate her now? Were they no longer friends?

_I knew at that point why Lex had been acting weird. He cared for that girl, even though he barely knew her. It made me think at that point if what we were doing was truly the right thing. Were all humans really that bad? Could we really live freely without humans at our side? I didn't know the answer then, and even now I don't._

"So Emma," May said. "How close are you and Lex?"

"Huh?" Emma then said. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you two are friends and he is a guy," May said. "What I'm saying is do you like him?"

"Like him!" Emma said quickly, blushing rapidly. Maybe she had feelings for him, but nothing like that! Or, so she thought. "Not at all! We're just friends right now."

May giggled. "You remind me of both myself and Drew back in the day."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Drew asked.

"Oh come on now Drew," May said sweetly. "You and I were both shy around one another, but at least you were at least able to take the first step by giving me roses and trying to get me upset."

Drew blushed. "Guilty as charged…" he muttered.

"Anyway, we'll keep looking for him," May said. "Because Detective May is on the case!"

"Must you always do that?" Blaziken said, sweatdropping slightly.

"Huh?" May asked. "What do you mean? It's my trademark! Of course, I can't do the symbol with a Pokemon in my arms."

"Right…" Blaziken said.

"Fine, you don't have to support me!" May snapped, turning her head away. "Least I have Absol to support me, right Absol?"

"Oh," Absol said, who had been sweatdropping as well. "Right May, always do."

Soon, they finally reached Eterna City, but there was no sign of any of Sirius' agents. "Emma, you sure Lex might have been taken here?" Brock asked.

Emma sighed. There was no point in making them go any further away. Things were looking suspicious enough already. "Maybe… it's too late for him. Or, perhaps they took him back to where Sirius resides."

"Guess that means we'll have to continue on then," Ash said. "Is there any other way we can get to Mt. Coronet from here?"

"Afraid not," Brock said. "There only seem to be two entrances on each side of it. Guess we'll have to walk back."

As annoying as it was, they had no choice. However, Emma had other things on her mind. Tonight, she would have to speak with Sirius, and she definitely had a few things to ask him, to say the least.

"_Was Malakye sent by Sirius?" _she thought. _"It's not possible that…Sirius doesn't trust me?" _But it wasn't just that that was bothering her. Deep down, she was truly wondering if she was able to do this. True, she had not known Pikachu for long, but unlike her other victims, she had to become familiar with him, and she realized deep down that Pikachu was caring, even to complete strangers. _"But are we strangers? It's that thought again; somehow I feel like he's really familiar to me…"_

Meanwhile, Piplup was concocting his own plans. _"Things are getting even stranger now," _he thought. He then glanced over at Emma again. _"Now she's not as concerned for her friend's safety? Alright, I don't have a choice now. I'm gonna have to keep a close eye on her from now on. I'll see what she ends up doing tonight. If Pikachu or the others won't figure it out, then I will."_

Night approached quickly for our heroes, who were exhausted from all the walking that was done today. It had been decided that they would go to bed earlier so that they could get up earlier to make up for lost time. Not that it concerned some Pokemon…

Once it got later into the night, Emma opened up one eye and checked around her. Everyone appeared to be asleep and she quietly got to her feet and moved far away from the others. However, little did she know that once she got up, Piplup opened his eyes and instantly saw her walking away. "Now what are you up to?" he whispered.

Emma was a bit nervous. Was she to act normal about the recent incident and pretend nothing had happened? If she explained what had happened, she could end up getting Lex into some major trouble. Or, could she actually express her anger towards him for doubting her in the first place? Soon, after finding a decent spot, Emma laid down the communicator and activated it. Soon, Sirius' hologram appeared.

Piplup, meanwhile, had been following her from a safe distance and soon hid himself in a bundle of bushes. He had almost gasped once he saw Sirius' silhouette. _"I knew it," _he thought. _"She had been a spy all along…"_

"Good to see you're still alive Emma," Sirius said. "It appears they haven't quite found out about you yet."

"Sirius, I must know," Emma said. "Malakye was sent out to kill Pikachu, wasn't he?"

"_Kill Pikachu?" _Piplup thought. _"What in the world is Sirius planning?"_

"Malakye was sent in an attempt to get Pikachu on our side, and if he refused Malakye would kill him" Sirius said. "It seems Pikachu has already made his choice, and is indeed strong."

"And why was I not told this?" Emma said, anger in her voice.

"You were not meant to know about it unless Malakye succeeded in either scenario," Sirius replied. "It was my idea because I had thought it would both blindside Pikachu and relieve you of your mission."

"I see," Emma said, feeling a pang of betrayal. Did Sirius no longer have faith in her.

"Emma," Sirius then said. "I have a feeling you may have been compromised. Once you have Pikachu alone with you, you have to eliminate him immediately."

"_This is bad," _Piplup thought. _"I have to warn Pikachu immediately."_

"Understood," Emma said, before the transmission disconnected. She then picked up the communicator but soon electricity started shooting out of her. Then, she turned toward the bushes and unleashed Charge Beam, causing a small explosion.

Once the smoke cleared away, Piplup was on the ground, struggling to get up while coughing up smoke. Emma came up to him and grabbed him by the throat. "Did you really think I wouldn't have noticed you!" she snapped at him before slapping him in the face, causing him to fall to the ground again.

Piplup gritted his teeth while standing back up slowly. "So, showing your true colors finally, are we?" he said. "I knew from the very beginning you were suspicious."

"Even if you have, who would believe you?" Emma said, smirking. "You obviously have no trust for anyone other than your friends. After your trainer disappeared."

"Don't even talk about her!" Piplup said angrily. "I swear I would kill all of you to get to Dawn."

"Oh, struck a nerve did I?" Emma said, now turning the tables. She was mostly feeling anger and sadness inside her right now, but she did not care of how she acted towards Piplup. In fact, now she felt like rubbing almost anything in his face.  


* * *

(A/N: Alright, it's that time again! The song we have here is called "Space Paranoids" from Kingdom Hearts II. Now, if you actually listen to it, doesn't it sound like a song that would play when there's a conflict in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games? That's pretty much why I decided to use this song.)

* * *

*"If you think about it," Emma continued. "Your trainer wouldn't be in this position if it hadn't been for your foolish mistakes. If you had been a better Pokemon, she would still be with you."

"No… that's not true…" Piplup said. Was it really his fault? Was he that bad of a Pokemon?

"Then again, perhaps it's the other way around," Emma said, enjoying this. "Maybe she just wasn't good enough a trainer that-" However, all of a sudden, she cut off as a Hydro Pump attack hit her straight in the face, drenching her.

Piplup stood there, panting slightly. It was the first time he had ever used that move. "Don't… ever… say that about… my trainer…"

Dripping wet, the electricity in Emma's cheeks crackled like crazy. "You bastard!" she growled. "You'll pay for that!"

However, as soon as Emma used Volt Tackle and Piplup used Peck, they were suddenly cut off as a figure came between them and used Thunderbolt, stopping both of them. "That's enough you two!" Pikachu said, both impatient and angry that the two were fighting.

"Pikachu!" Emma said, a bit shocked. (A/N: No pun intended.) "How did you know I was here?"

"I could here the commotion all the way back at camp," Pikachu said. "Now what's going on? Why are you two fighting?"

"Oh I'll tell you why!" Piplup said. "She's a spy!"

"Oh here we go…" Emma muttered.  


* * *

(A/N: Alright, second to last song here. The name of this song is "Strange Whispers" from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep. Ugh, I want that game so badly! Oh yeah, did any of you hear about Re: Coded? Erm… moving on then…)

* * *

*"I saw and heard her talking to Sirius!" Piplup said. "She's going to have you killed!"

"This is ridiculous," Emma said. "He's told you this before, hasn't he? He doesn't trust me."

"I'm not lying!" Piplup cried out. "Pikachu, she's dangerous! Don't let her fool you."

Pikachu sighed and went up to him. "Look, I know you have your suspicions," Pikachu whispered to him. "Just… walk it off. And besides, even if something does happen, I can take care of myself."

Piplup let out a sigh of frustration. "Fine," he said. "But I warned you…"

"Come on Emma, let's head back," Pikachu said, heading back to camp.

"Right," Emma said, following him. However, she then turned back towards Piplup and smirked at him once more before continuing back.

Piplup gritted his teeth. _"One way or another Emma, someone will find out. And I'll make _I'm_ the one who takes care of you once that happens…"  


* * *

_(A/N: Okay, last song of the chapter. The name of the song here is called "Wounded" from Final Fantasy VIII.)

* * *

Pikachu and Emma were both on their way back before Pikachu stopped. "Emma," he then said. "Can we talk?"

"Um… sure," Emma replied, not sure where this was going.

"Tell me," Pikachu said. "Is there any specific reason why Piplup would be suspicious of you and accuse you of being a spy?"

Emma didn't expect this. Even he was suspicious of her now. "You don't trust me either?" she asked.

"It's not that," Pikachu replied, sitting down. "But, it does tend to be hard to trust anyone in times like this. Sirius' agents are practically anywhere." He then looked to her. "But… for some reason, I do trust you."

"Oh?" she said, sitting down next to him. Now was her chance. It was now or never. _"I don't have to do this though," _she thought. _"I could just tell him and everything will be better."_

"_But if you don't, think of what will happen," _another voice in her head said. _"Even if you're with them, if you don't stay alert for even a second, Sirius or someone else will kill you."_

"_What choice do I have then?" _Emma said in her head. _"Either one would not suit me well… Oh Arceus, what have I done?"_

"I can't explain why exactly," Pikachu continued explaining. "I feel like… I know you from somewhere."

Emma gasped. "You too?" she asked. She had to make her decision now.

"Yeah," Pikachu said, smiling in amusement. "Weird, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Emma replied. She then sighed and got up. "Pikachu, have you ever had to make a choice where either one would in the end destroy you?"

"Huh?" Pikachu said, getting up. "What are you talking about?"

"I have to make my choice, now," she said. *She turned around, facing him and raised her arm into the air. Then, out of nowhere, appeared a medium-sized knife. She then threw her hand down and the blade shot forward and stabbed Pikachu right in the chest. Pikachu's eyes widened in surprise, looking at Emma and not able to speak. "I'm sorry Pikachu…" Emma said sadly, disappearing.

Pikachu, feeling pain from being betrayed and the knife, which disappeared, leaving the wound, fell to the ground in shock, feeling himself drifting off either into unconsciousness or to his death.

* * *

(A/N: HOLY CRAP! NO WAY! PIKACHU IS- Wait a minute, why am I even typing this…? Anyway… yeah it had finally come to this, the ultimate cliffhanger. So, did Pikachu really die, and what will happen with Emma now? Find out next time on Pokemon Beginnings!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	20. No Resignations Allowed

(A/N: Okay, to start things off here, we'll have a song coming up here. Two in fact. The name of it is "Burden to Bear" from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. After that, the next song will be "Eyes the Color of the Sky" from the same game. By the way, my "S" key is acting up so if there are words that are supposed to have an "s" in it, now you know why.)

* * *

Chapter 20: No Resignations Allowed

Soon, Emma returned back to "HQ", her mission done. She wished she hadn't done what she did, but she had no choice. _"Oh Arceus, what have I done?" _she thought, shaking slightly.

All of a sudden, a portal appeared and Lex came out of it. "Emma?" he said, surprised. "You're back?"

Emma turned to him sadly. "Yes," she replied, walking towards him. "I did what I had to do Lex. I had no choice." *The tears suddenly appeared in her eyes and she lunged forward, sobbing into Lex's chest. "But I didn't want to do it! He didn't deserve it, and yet I still did it!"

Lex only stood there in surprise. If this was true, then things could only go bad to worse. "Emma…" he then said. "You can't blame yourself for it. What other choice did you have?"

"I should've listened to you Lex," Emma said, wiping away her tears. "But… if you had second thoughts on all of this, why are you still here?"

"Well…" Lex then said. "I guess it's because… I care about you so much."

*"Huh?" Emma said, not expecting that answer. "What do you mean?"

"The truth is… my feelings for you are more than you think," Lex said, blushing now. "I've… loved you for a long time Emma."

Emma gasped and started blushing deep red. "You… have?"

"Yeah," Lex said, turning away.

Emma took her paw and put it to his face, moving his head to look into her eyes. "The truth is, I feel the same way for you Lex."

"You mean that?" Lex said, getting closer to her.

"Absolutely," Emma replied, and soon their lips met as they kissed each other. As soon as they broke the kiss, Emma then said, "I'm done with this Lex. Let's get out of here, and find a new place for both of us."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, so everyone knows, this chapter will be chock-full of songs. The next song here is called "Starting Up" from Final Fantasy VIII. And then after that is "A Proposal" from Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.)

* * *

*"Oh, I believe that is not an option." A portal then appeared and out came Sirius. "We don't allow resignations," he said. "Kind of sad though, that I'm hearing this from two of my best agents. Just what made you turn away from your duties?"  
"Sorry Sirius, we've all of a sudden had a change in heart," Lex said.

"So I see," Sirius replied. He sighed. "It's a shame really since I'll have to kill you both. Do you two really think you can defeat me?"

"We'll see about that!" Emma snarled, lunging forward. However, she was sent back as a large yellow cube surrounded her. It was a Light Screen move. *She then looked at Lex in surprise. "Lex, what are you doing!"

"I'm sorry Emma," Lex said, looking away from her. "I can't let you go down with me. I'm giving you the chance to get out of here."

"Lex, please don't!" Emma said, tears in her eyes once more.

"Forgive me Emma," Lex said before Emma disappeared into another portal.

"That's rather brave of you Lex," Sirius said. "Willing to give your own life to save her? You were a good agent Lex. You know you won't be able to beat me."

"You're probably right," Lex said. "Maybe I won't be able to beat you. And I know what my fate is. But I know that Emma will find Pikachu and the others and they will stop you!" _"If Pikachu somehow survived…"  


* * *

_(A/N: Continuing on, the next song here is "Revenge of Chaos" from Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories.)

* * *

*"Hmm… is that so?" Sirius said, an amused smile on his face. A dark aura appeared around both of his hands. "Well, first I'll have to tie up loose ends…" All of a sudden, Sirius lunged forward using Dark Pulse but Lex dodged it by teleporting. However, Sirius proved to be faster using the same attack, causing Lex to be sent back.

Lex then struck back using Charge Beam, which managed to hit Sirius. "Not bad," he then said. "But you'll have to do better than that." He then used Shadow Ball but Lex was ready this time and teleported to a safe spot. Unfortunately, it proved to be a trick as Sirius then appeared and used Shadow Claw, which slashed into Lex's fur, creating large gashes.

Lex fell to the ground, wounded, and struggled to get up, but he couldn't. "Look how pathetic you are now Lex," Sirius said. "Did it really have to come to this? It seems deep down in your heart you still have love and compassion for humans after all."

In that one final second, or so it seemed, before it all ended here, Lex could remember the first and final goodbye.

*Flashback*

"_Do you really have to go now?" Dawn asked, looking at the Luxio sadly._

"_Unfortunately, yes," Lex said, looking down slightly. "If I'm gone too long, they'll grow suspicious."_

"_I understand," Dawn said, a slight smile appearing on her face. "But… you'll come back soon right?"_

_Lex smiled. "If I can, I will…"_

"_Dawn," _Lex thought, before the final blow came. _"I doubt you can hear me, but I am sorry…"  


* * *

_(A/N: And here we have another song! Yay! The name of this song is "Sudden Parting" from Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. And at the scene change, we have "Utsusemi no Kage" from Rozen Maiden.)

* * *

Soon, in the middle of an unknown forest, a portal and Emma was thrown out of it. She quickly got up, looking around and realizing she had to go back and help Lex. However, when she tried to teleport, nothing happened. "What the-!" She tried again, but still nothing. "Damn it!" Light Screen was having some effect on her teleporting. She then looked down, not sure to feel angry or sad. "Why Lex?" she then asked out loud. She knew he did it to protect her, but he sacrificed himself to do so.

All of a sudden, another portal appeared, with Lex coming out of it, limping and collapsing to the ground. "Lex!" Emma cried out, running up to him. "You're alright?"

Lex slowly looked up to her. "I had no choice but to escape at the last second," he said softly.

Emma then looked and saw his wounds and the look on her face turned to fear. "Lex… you're hurt…" she said. "We need to get you some help. There has to be a Pokemon Center around here somewhere!"

Lex just smiled and shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry Emma, but I think it's… too late for me."

*"What? No, don't say that!" Emma cried out. "You'll be fine, I promise!"

"Emma, most of these wounds are fatal," Lex said, as he started glowing and fading slightly.

Emma gasped as she looked at him. "No… please Lex, I can't do this without you!"

"Emma, you and I both know just how strong you are," Lex replied calmly. "But to beat Sirius, you'll have to find Pikachu and the others. They're the only ones who can. Defeat Sirius… and save Dawn…"

"Lex!" Emma cried out again.

"I'll always love you and remember you Emma…" Lex said. "You… and Dawn… were the only friends I had… Thank you…" Soon, there was a small flash of light and Lex was gone.

Emma soon fell to her knees, tears in her eyes. "Lex…" she managed to say before she started sobbing. Truth was, he was the only she had too. "I promise you Lex…" she then said. "I will make sure your death was not in vain. I'll find them, and we'll stop Sirius. You have my word." *She then got up to her feet and looked behind her.

_This was where my true journey, and destiny, begun…  


* * *

_

Emma didn't know where she was heading, but it was almost as if something was guiding her way forward, so she went with her instincts. She knew if Pikachu was dead, the consequences that would befall her. But… she needed them so that Sirius could be stopped for good.

"_Now is the time to put your training to good use," _Emma thought to herself. She knew Sirius' spies could be anywhere, and by now she had a target on her back. So she had to be quick. By the looks of it, it seemed she was in Eterna Forest, which meant she was rather close to where she had left. _"Good thinking Lex…"_

Normally, she would just teleport to a certain location, but that were give her away too easily. So, she had to walk _all _the way back. But, it probably couldn't be that bad…

After about an hour, Emma regretted saying those words. Sure, she had made quite a bit of progress, but it was only tiring her out, making her vulnerable to any enemies. It was strange… her allies were now her enemies. She really had changed sides. But… would her "enemies" become her allies, or would they try to destroy her as well?  


* * *

(A/N: Okay… this should possibly be the second to last song of the chapter. The title of the song I found on Youtube is called "Final Fantasy VII – Battle Metal Remix" by Antoff7. This is actually a good remix so you must hear it! Oh and… you can kind of ignore the end part. XD)

* * *

Up until now, she had been constantly moving, and she really needed a break. She rested against one of the trees, catching her breath.

Suddenly, a portal appeared. "Well, well, well, look who I managed to find all by herself," Malakye said, coming out of it.

"Malakye; should've known you would be coming," Emma said defiantly.

"You guessed well," Malakye said. "And I came on such good timing as well. Sirius told me of what happened with you and Lex… traitor."

"So, you're just here to finish me off?" Emma said. "No wonder you seem to be in a good mood. Well, you kill me and Sirius' last chance at stopping Pikachu and the others will be gone forever."

Malakye just laughed. "You think that's the case? Sirius has more tricks up his sleeves than you may think. And besides, weren't you the one who killed Pikachu? You still managed to do what Sirius asked you to do."

Emma just gritted her teeth, "You don't know that!" she spat. "He may still be alive!" _"But if he is, he'll never forgive me for what I did…"_

*"Alive or not, it makes no difference right now," Malakye said, shooting out his claws and getting into a battle position. "Right now I must eliminate you, and boy am I gonna enjoy doing it." He then launched forward using Shadow Claw but Emma managed to dodge it before using Iron Tail.

However, he disappeared but soon reappeared behind her but she anticipated the move and teleported as well. Soon, the battle turned into who could avoid who. Eventually, Malakye became tired of this. "Enough of the games!" he snarled, then using Night Slash to strike her down. Emma fell but quickly got up and used Thunder, which Malakye dodged but only barely, as he got partially scorched by the attack. "Not bad," he then said. "But we both know how this will end, for I've always been stronger than you, and yet you've always been favored over everyone else!"

"Your motive for killing me is only jealousy?" Emma said, enraged. "You're pathetic Malakye…"

"Maybe so, but once you're finally dead, my standing will be returned to the top," Malakye said. "Anything you want to say before I eventually kill you?"

"Perhaps I do," Emma said, preparing herself. "Have you forgotten what I'm best at doing?"

"What do you-!" All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain in his back and saw blood dripping onto the ground before collapsing to the ground.

"You forgot that I have a reputation of killing," Emma said, walking past him.

"Damn you…" Malakye said, coughing up blood. "Why bother? Do you even think you have the power to defeat Sirius?"

"Not alone, but I know people who could," Emma replied, not looking back.

"Even so, everyone is your enemy now…" Malakye said. "You can't last out here by yourself…"

"Oh shut up and die!" Emma snapped, but all Malakye did before dying and fading away was laugh. Although, Malakye had a point. She was still a target and she had to be careful or else every minute that passed by could be her last.  


* * *

(A/N: Last song. The name of the song here is "Byakuya" from Naruto Kizuna.)

* * *

Judging by her current location, she had to be close now to Oreburgh City again. However, she knew once she got there she would have to explain herself… big time. Oh, and probably would have to run if things got hostile. She stopped and looked where the sun was. Good, she was still heading south.

_Swish! *_Emma could not even react in time as the Poison Sting attack hit her, right in the chest. Stunned, she fell to the ground, breathing heavily. _"No…this can't be happening," _she thought as she felt the pain course through her body. _"I can't stop here…"_

She tried standing up and moving forward but she collapsed again. Tears were once again in her eyes. _"I'm sorry Lex…I failed you…and everyone else…" _All she could now was stare upwards towards the sky, knowing she would never find out who her eventual killer was. In the end, she could only guess it was karma against her.

* * *

(A/N: You know, this would be a great cliffhanger that should say, "PLEASE INSERT DISC 2." XD Sorry… anyway, I know some people might flip out that I supposedly killed off two characters in one chapter but if you would stay patient and wait, you'll see what happens. So, that being said, hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember to watch the WORLD CUP! XD)

FoxMcCloud7921


	21. Second Chance

Chapter 21: Second Chance

"_Is it…really the end? After all that has happened, this is the ending to my story? Could Lex forgive me? Could Pikachu forgive me? Could _I _forgive myself? No, I won't allow it! This can't be the end for me!"_

"Doctor! I think she's starting to come to!"

"_What's that voice? Could it be? Is there still a chance after all…?"_

Emma slowly opened her eyes and although her vision was grainy, she could see she was in a white room. Once it improved she noticed she was in a medical room. She was at a Pokemon Center.

"Good, you're finally awake," the Chansey at her side said. "We were worried about you."

Emma then noticed she was hooked up to a heart monitor. "What happened?" she asked.

"I'll tell you," the doctor said, coming in. "Apparently you had a high concentration of poison in your bloodstream. Somehow though, you miraculously survived. Pokemon, or even humans, don't survive that."

"_So I survived after all, despite the fact I shouldn't have," _Emma thought. "I see…" she said. "So… where am I exactly?"

"You're at the Pokemon Center in Oreburgh City," the doctor replied. "Apparently one of the nurses who were in the area saw you unconscious and rushed you here as fast as they could."

"But it seems now the poison has been extracted out of your body," Chansey said. She then disconnected Emma from the machine. "So now you'll be good to go."

"But before you go, there's some final paperwork I have to finish," the doctor said. "But first, there's another patient that I must see."

"Just rest here while you're waiting," Chansey said as the two of them left.

It seemed Emma had indeed escaped death. Not that she was complaining. She then decided to leave on her own. Like anyone could stop her. However, she decided to take a look around the Pokemon Center. It was the first time she had ever been to one, and was surprised to see how many Pokemon and humans were involved.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, first song here is a song I think makes sense to use, even if it's from a different Nintendo franchise. XD The song is "Song of Healing" from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Hm… I think I might try beating that game…)

* * *

*Soon, she got up to another patient room and heard talking, causing her to stop.

"Is Pikachu going to be alright doctor?" a familiar voice. Emma's heart almost stopped. If she had heard right, then it meant Ash and the others were here as well! And Pikachu… he was still alive? She then peeked through the crack in the door and saw everyone including Pikachu, who was lying unconscious on the bed.

"It appears the wound did not hit any major arteries," the doctor said. "So, your Pikachu should recover in a matter of time."

"Oh thank goodness," May said.

"What a relief, right Ash?" Brock asked.

"Yeah…" Ash said. "But… if only I had known where Pikachu was at that point. I… I could've saved him beforehand." He then looked down sadly. "Not to mention we don't know what happened to Emma either…" Emma gasped slightly. They thought she had gone missing?

"Ash, it's not your fault," May said. "It's not like you would've known anyway, since it was in the middle of the night."

"Yeah, Pikachu knew the risks if he went off by himself," Drew added. "Besides, once he wakes up, maybe he can tell us what happened?"

"Um… if you don't mind me asking, who is Emma?" the doctor then asked.

"Emma is a Pichu we met not too long ago," Brock said. "We've been looking for her."

"_Oh crap… Please don't say it…" _Emma thought pleadingly.

"A Pichu?" the doctor replied. "Actually, we found a Pichu earlier today that was unconscious. I can bring her to you if you want."

"Aw crap…" Emma muttered. She knew she had nowhere else to go now. She tried hiding but the doctor came out of the room and instantly spotted her.

He smiled. "How about that, you being right outside of the room? I think you have some friends here who were looking for you." He then gave her a wink. "I'll leave you be so you all can talk." Emma gave a small sigh and went inside.

"Emma!" everyone almost yelled, coming up to her.

"You're okay?" Brock asked.

"Um… yeah," Emma replied. _"This is awkward…" _"Let's just say I… had a close encounter…"

"Well, it's good to see you're alright," Ash said.

Everyone seemed happy except Piplup, who gave her a death glare. He knew, and she couldn't blame him. She would have to tell the truth, about what really happened. There was no other way around it. "Um… listen, everyone, there's something I have to tell you."

All of a sudden, there was a slight groan that came from Pikachu's lips as he slowly opened his eyes. "This is just not my day…" he muttered.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out, walking towards him. "You alright?"

"I've been better…" Pikachu said. The second he saw Emma, his emotions turned from calm to complete rage. "YOU!" he roared, trying to get up, but fatigue caused him to fall back into bed.

"Pikachu, what's wrong!" Ash said, concerned.

"Her!" Pikachu said, pointing at Emma. "She did this to me! She tried to kill me!"

There was complete shock in the room as everyone turned towards the Pichu. "Emma… is this true?" Brock asked.

Emma sighed. "Yes," she said. "It's true. I am, no, _was _one of Sirius' agents."

"So you lied about everything?" Ash said, starting to get angry.

"Yes, but I had no choice!" Emma said, looking at everyone. "You… none of you know my background, how I became what I am. I didn't have a choice… I had to do it, even if I didn't want to, or face death." Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down. "Unfortunately, Lex gave his life to protect me."

"Lex?" Pikachu said, surprised. "You mean _he _was your friend?"

"Yes," Emma replied, nodding. "We made the wrong choices, mostly because at the time we were desperate for survival. And… we regret doing that. Please Pikachu, I'm sorry for doing this to you, but what would you have done?"

Pikachu sighed. "Possibly the same thing," he replied. "So… are you truly on our side now?"

Emma turned around. "I don't know," she said. "I am… but are you willing to accept me after all of this?"

"Well, although you did almost kill Pikachu, I guess I can understand the pressure you were under," Ash said.

"But if you try pulling anything on us again, I personally will make sure you're taken care of," Pikachu said acidly.

Emma flinched slightly. "I understand. I, like all of you realize that Sirius must be stopped, and I am willing to help you to see that fulfilled." She then turned back to face him. "In fact, I know where Sirius' domain is. Of course for you, you will have to find another way there, but I can guide you once we do get there."

"Then it's agreed then," Drew said. "Emma will help us on our journey and guide us to where Sirius is."

The others nodded but once Emma looked again towards Piplup, his attitude of her had not changed in the slightest. She then sighed. _"It wasn't easy, but it sure could've ended up worse than it had…"  


* * *

_

Later on, the nurses came back to do more tests for Pikachu. Unfortunately, Pikachu wasn't the type who could just sit around and wait. Precious time was being wasted and Pikachu already wasn't in the best of moods. However Ash, who wanted his buddy back one hundred percent, finally convinced him to wait after much arguing.

Ash, Pikachu, and Emma were the only ones in the room at the moment. May, Drew, and Brock went out to get supplies with Piplup accompanying them. After some time, Ash got up from his seat and went over to where Emma was, who had been sitting in thought. "I want you to learn more about yourself," he then said to her.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, the next song here is "Ventus' Theme" from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep.)

* * *

Emma smiled slightly. "I suppose that's fair enough," she said. "Although, there really isn't much to tell. *I grew up as an orphan, having to fend for myself. I never knew my parents." She then chuckled slightly. "It's funny though… perhaps if they hadn't left me I wouldn't have been in the mess I'm in now." Pikachu knew how she probably felt, since he had been in the same situation. "So I was in a dire situation, off on my own. Then, I was attacked by a small gang of Pokemon. But… then Sirius came and saved me."

"Sirius saved you?" Ash asked.

"That's right," Emma replied. "Even now, I do not know why he did, mostly out of pity perhaps. So, I had become an apprentice under him, soon to become an agent. And that was also how I met Lex." She then looked down and was silent for a couple moments before saying, "Tell me. This girl Dawn, is she important to you?"

"Very important," Ash replied. "She's our friend and Piplup's trainer…" He then blushed slightly, knowing better than to finish that sentence.

"I see…" Emma said. She then turned away slightly. "So… do you hate me for taking your friend away?"

"No," Ash replied. "I guess I'm just… sad."

Emma gasped slightly and frowned. "I'm sorry," she said. "…Lex had met her… and she was probably the only human that ever really cared about him, despite where his loyalties lied. So, I know for sure she's a good person." She then turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, I hope you don't hate me and someday that you will be able to forgive me."

"I don't hate you," Pikachu replied calmly. "And… I hope I can forgive you someday as well. But right now, I can't."

Emma nodded. "I understand." She then looked back to Ash. "Well, for the most part, that's all there is about me."

"Thank you," Ash replied. "And Emma, we really are sorry about Lex."

"Thank you," Emma said softly. It was hard enough even saying his name without him popping into her mind. She then sighed. _"I already miss him like crazy…"  


* * *

_

(A/N: And that will end chapter 21. A bit shorter than the last two, but I guess that's okay. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it and get ready for a big clash in the next chapter! Who will be involved? Find out next time and stay tuned!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	22. A Rivalry Assailed

Chapter 22: A Rivalry Assailed

Later in the day, Pikachu was finally allowed to leave the Pokemon Center, but for unusual reasons. His near fatal wound had healed at record speed. "Never have I treated a Pokemon that could heal from an event like that so fast," the doctor had said. It may have been strange, but it worked out in their favor.

In Oreburgh City, Mt. Coronet was only miles away. Spear Pillar would be the last place before Ash and the others could finally take on Sirius himself. "It's getting close to the end, isn't it?" May then said as they were walking.

"Yeah, it is," Ash replied. "But that's a good thing, right?"

"Well, yeah," May replied. "But… when everything is over, will it be the last time we see each other?"

"Even if we live in different regions, it doesn't mean we can't visit every once in awhile," Brock said.

"And we all know we will," Ash said, with Pikachu nodding in agreement.

"_I hope we do," _May thought. She then looked over and saw Drew smirking at her. "What?"

"You've only known these people for so long and you can already call them friends?" Drew asked.

"Of course!" May said. Truth was, May didn't have many friends back in Hoenn. At least, any that hadn't left for their Pokemon journeys. Drew had been the only friend she had left. Then again, it was probably the same for everyone else. "You're friends with them too right?"

"Well yeah," Drew said, flicking his hair as usual. "I guess you just accept people a lot quicker than I do." He probably had a point, and sometimes that was a bad thing. Emma at first had been a clear example of that.

Meanwhile, the mentioned Pichu who was walking close to Absol had some things in her mind. She kept looking at Piplup but was careful not to stare too long.

"Are you still upset at her?" Pikachu then asked Piplup.

"Gee, what do you think?" Piplup said sarcastically. "You didn't hear the things she said about Dawn."

"Maybe not, but she said the opposite to me that one night," Pikachu replied. "And I could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn't lying either."

"Of course she did," Piplup said, rolling his eyes. However, his mood then changed. "What exactly did she say?"

"Almost the same things you say about her: kind, caring, and loving," Pikachu said. "You know deep down she didn't mean what she said."

Piplup sighed. "Maybe not… but if she wants forgiveness she's gonna have to come to me."

Pikachu just shook his head slightly and smirked. "That was a quick change of heart."

"Eh, what did you expect?" Piplup said. "Besides, I don't think Dawn would like me acting this way anyway."

Once it had reached noon, the group settled down for a break and ate lunch. While eating, Emma was still arguing inside her head. _"I remember the things I said before," _she said in her head. _"How could he forgive for that?"_

"_It doesn't matter if he does or doesn't," _another voice said in her head. _"What matters is that you apologize nevertheless. It will look better for you if you do this. Besides, you are all on the same side now."_

Same sides. How strange it was that now she truly was instead of feigning it. But she knew she had to do this. She then walked over to where Piplup was eating. "Um Piplup?" she said nervously. "May I talk to you for a second?"

Piplup stopped eating and looked up to her. "What is it?" he then asked.

Here we go. "Well…" she began. "I realize… before, that I said some horrible things about Dawn that were untrue. I know she's a good person and trainer because she's got a good partner to accompany her. What I'm saying Piplup is that I'm sorry for what I did and all that and I hope maybe you can forgive me."

"Oh," Piplup said, now feeling stupid for saying only that in response. "Don't worry about it Emma. I forgive you and all that. Pikachu kind of explained some things."

"I see," Emma said, glancing over at him quickly. She then turned back and smiled. "I will admit though, that Hydro Pump of yours was pretty powerful."

"Oh, thanks," Piplup said. "Actually, that was the first time I ever used that attack. I guess I was just so mad that it just caused me to use it. So, I guess I have to thank you for it."

"Oh, well it's no problem," Emma said, giggling slightly. Wait a minute, was she-? Oh Arceus, she was indeed blushing. "Well, you're a pretty strong Pokemon Piplup."

"Um… thanks," Piplup said, who was now blushing as well. "Same for you, especially with that Charge Beam attack."

It was getting awkward and Emma had to get out of there. "Well, glad we were able to talk," she said quickly. "See you later!" She then ran back to where she had been eating. This was insane; she couldn't possibly be falling for him. She loved Lex and always would.

_But deep down, I knew I was falling for him. Why, I wasn't so sure at first. I know Lex wouldn't care and I knew it wasn't wrong but still, for me it did feel wrong…  


* * *

_(A/N: Hmm, well I guess this would be a good spot to put this. Anyway, let's just say something's coming up and the song used for that is called "The Force in You" from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep. Actually, if you can find an extended version, which isn't hard to do, on YouTube it'll work out better.)

* * *

After lunch, they continued on and Pikachu noticed that both Piplup and Emma were keeping to themselves. He wasn't sure why but obviously Emma apologized and Piplup forgave her.

Soon, Ash looked on ahead and saw two familiar figures. "Say… is that Paul?" he said.

"Paul?" Piplup then said. "He's here?"

"Better check it out," Ash said, who started running ahead.

"Ash, what're you running for?" Brock yelled behind him. But Ash just kept running until Paul, whose back was towards him along with Electabuzz, stood in front of him.

"Paul, it's me Ash!" Ash then said to him.

Paul then turned his head to look at Electabuzz and nodded. *Electabuzz then nodded back and lunged towards Ash!

"What the-!" Pikachu said as he jumped forward using Iron Tail to ward Electabuzz off. Electabuzz then jumped back and started using ThunderPunch. "What are you – doing – it's me – Pikachu!" Pikachu managed to say out loud while dodging his attacks.

"Paul what are you doing!" Ash said angrily as the two kept fighting. "Stop this at once!"

"I can't do that," Paul said calmly. "The only way I'll be able to see Dawn again is if I have you eliminated."

"What, Dawn?" Ash then said.

"Paul, have you lost it!" Piplup said angrily. "We're on the same side, trying to help her! You think she wants this!"

"This is the only way I'll ever be able to see her again," Paul said. "So stay out of this!"

The others had finally caught up and were surprised by the sudden battle. "What is going on here?" May said.

"Hold on May," Drew said, holding her back. "I don't know why these two are feuding but it looks serious."

Pikachu, meanwhile, used Iron Tail once again but Electabuzz blocked it with Protect. "You'll have to do better than that," Electabuzz said.

"You don't have to do this," Pikachu said, panting slightly. "I know you aren't doing this by choice."

"Because I have no choice," Electabuzz replied. "If I did, I wouldn't even hurt you or your trainer, but if I don't obey to Paul or even Sirius, Dawn could be killed."

"Sirius!" Pikachu cried out. Now it all made sense, why any of this was happening in the first place. _"Sirius manipulated Paul so he could get Ash out of the way," _he thought. "I understand now, but I can't let you accomplish what you've been set out to do."

"Then I guess one of us is going down, but I'm not giving up," Electabuzz said. "Brick Break!" He jumped into the air and came down with his arm, charged with electricity.

However, Pikachu waited for the attack to come and then used Double-Edge, which was a move he didn't use often. He had plenty of moves in case of an electric vs. electric battle. He charged upwards and hit Electabuzz square in the chest, knocking the breath right out of him. However, he wasn't even that hurt badly.

Pikachu knew he couldn't rely on a defensive strategy and if he went on the offensive, most of his attacks would be blocked. The only solution left was to break his defenses. "Electabuzz, I'm sorry for doing this but I have no choice."

"What are you…?" He then realized what Pikachu was about to do and set up Protect to shield himself and to decrease the amount of damage. Pikachu then charged forward using Volt Tackle, using all the electricity he had in him for the attack, causing an aura of electricity.

"What… power…" Paul managed to say, shocked by the small Pokemon's powerful attack. Pikachu then hit the shield and the force shattered the defensive move and hit Electabuzz head on, sending him backwards, causing him to hit his head off the ground and knocking him out.  


* * *

(A/N: Well, for this last song I was going to use a different track but unfortunately it's impossible to find on YouTube and you can only really find it on iTunes so I did people a favor. Anyway, the song I'm using here instead is called "Drifting" from Final Fantasy VIII.)

* * *

The shock on Paul's face was apparent. He was not expecting to lose to such an average trainer. *He then fell onto his knees in defeat. "Will I… always have to live with defeat?" he whispered to himself. He then got up and walked over to his Pokemon, helping him to his feet.

Electabuzz woke up and looked at his master, disappointment in his eyes. "I'm sorry Paul, I just couldn't do it."

"Don't worry about it," Paul said gruffly. He was about to turn around but stopped. He then looked at Ash and Pikachu. "I did what I had to do to help Dawn, but I failed. I failed her."

"You haven't failed her Paul," Ash then said. "There's still hope for her. If you come with us, we'll find her and save her together."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," Paul said, turning around. "I'm always better off by myself. It's what makes me stronger, and it's just how I am. You wouldn't understand."

*Flashback*

_Paul was sitting in the stands of the Battle Pyramid with Elekid, shocked by what he had just seen. His older brother Reggie, who had won eight Sinnoh badges with ease, has just lost to the Pyramid King Brandon, not even able to land an attack._

_After that, he went down to where his brother was. "Reggie, I'm sorry," he then said._

"_Nah, don't worry about it," Reggie said with a smile as he was looking over Drapion's injuries. "I knew my chances of winning were slim. But now I've learned I just have to train Drapion a little bit harder." Paul nodded and looked over Reggie's shoulder and his face soon grew dark. "What is it?" Reggie asked._

"He's _here," Paul then said._

_Reggie looked behind him and saw their father walking up to them. He then sighed and muttered, "When will he ever give us a moment of peace?"_

"_Ah Reggie," their dad said, patting him on the shoulder. "It was a tough battle, but we can't win them all right?"_

"_That's right," Reggie said, forcing a smile. "I just have to change my training strategy."_

"_Good idea. I don't quite think training against that Elekid will do much good," their dad said smugly. Elekid just growled in response._

"_Actually, Elekid is stronger than you think," Reggie replied. "He gave Drapion a good brawl the other day."_

"_He'll probably be close to evolving soon," Paul added._

"_Hm, maybe he'll be better to train with then," their dad said._

_Reggie then sighed in frustration, walking away from them. "No matter what he does, it's just not good enough for you."_

"_What's that supposed to mean?" his father replied, who followed him._

"_Paul loves you dad, and yet you just cast him aside," Reggie replied._

"_I don't cast him aside," his dad said. "But listen Reggie, I was thinking, Brandon was a tough opponent, but perhaps if you try competing in the Battle Frontier."_

"_No dad, I think for now I need to set aside training and take a break for awhile," Reggie said. "Training is all I've done in my life."_

"_If you want, I can always try the Battle Frontier," Paul then said._

"_Right, like you'll be able to compete with all the training you've done so far," his dad said. "That kind of competition is at Reggie's level. You aren't ready for it yet."_

"Paul…" Electabuzz then said.

"I've already made up my mind," Paul replied to all of them while walking away. "It's not as simple… as you may think. I hope maybe… that Dawn will be alright and that she can hold on." Electabuzz sighed and followed him.

Ash and Pikachu just stood there as the others came up to them. "What was that about?" Brock asked.

"It was nothing…" Ash replied. "Come on, we had better keep going." However, deep down he was thinking, _"Paul, you really aren't giving up on Dawn, are you?"  


* * *

_

(A/N: So… now you all now Paul's story, which probably isn't even close to being true, but it's a good idea. XD Sorry for the long wait, I was busy with… other things. Oh yeah and the thing with Emma and Piplup, that was last-second. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and… damn it, I can't think of anything!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	23. Spear Pillar

(A/N: Okay, to start this off, we have two songs that are both from the Pokemon games! Gee, how typical. Anyway, the first song here is called "Sinjoh Ruins" from Pokemon HeartGold/Soulsilver. Then, after that, it will be "Mt. Coronet" from Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. Pretty much it's supposed to help quicken the pace of the chapter.)

* * *

Chapter 23: Mt. Coronet

It wasn't long before the group finally made it to the entrance of Mt. Coronet. "It's gonna get cold once we get up to the peak," Pikachu said as a reminder.

"It's the only way we'll be able to get to Spear Pillar," Ash replied. He then turned back to the others. "I don't what to expect up there but we have to be ready for anything, got it?" *The others nodded and soon the decent began.

As was expected, it was dark but once again Blaziken helped light the way. As also was expected, the climb up involved many stairways that went in different directions. "I have to admit, this mountain is kind of interesting," Drew then said.

"Why is that?" Absol asked.

"A mountain right in the middle of Sinnoh that splits east and west," Drew said. "Makes me wonder if all the regions used to be disconnected…"

"The heart of Sinnoh," Absol then replied. "That's what this is."

"Wait a minute, I just realized something," May said later on as they kept going up. "If Palkia and Dialga live in different dimensions, how will we be able to get to them?"

"Well, if we can't get to them, we'll just make them come to us," Ash said, a confident smile on his face.

"And just how are you going to do that?" May asked.

"I'll find a way," Ash replied, causing May to roll her eyes.

*Soon later on, they managed to reach the outside of the mountain, which was now covered in snow, and much colder. Luckily the weather wasn't bad. "The peak can't be too much farther up," Piplup said, who was one of the few Pokemon not being affected by the cold.

"Let's hurry before we freeze to death!" Brock cried out as they continued going upwards. Meanwhile, Piplup looked behind him towards Emma, who was shivering. _"I want to keep her warm," _he thought. _"No, it would be too awkward most likely. Ugh, this is not the time to be thinking about this…"_

Then, they finally reached a steep climb which appeared to lead straight to the top. "This must be the last climb up," May then said.

"But it's a long way up," Vulpix commented.

"We're almost there though," Pikachu added.

"It's not gonna stop me though," Ash said, who then started climbing.

"Wow, those two just don't stop for anything, do they?" Emma asked, referring to both Ash and Pikachu.

"By now, it shouldn't surprise any of us," Blaziken then said. They soon followed upwards, climbing the large snow-covered wall. Once they were able to reach the top, the atmosphere was much different. Everything was… still.

"It's almost bone-chilling here," May then said.

"Oh… yeah, I guess I should've explained before," Piplup then said. "You see, Spear Pillar has been known to have… strange activity every once in awhile. Of course, it could be due to the two different dimensions that overlap the mountain, but others say there's other paranormal activity that takes place."

"Then most likely it's because of Palkia and Dialga," Pikachu said. "Or perhaps something else."

"Look at these ruins," Brock said as they continued forward. "They look like they've been here for centuries."

"There anything else you know about this place Piplup?" Ash then asked.

"Other than what I told you, no," Piplup said. "But… that over there looks important." They looked ahead and saw a small platform. Definitely looked important alright.

However, before they could keep going, two portals then appeared. Out of them came a Purugly and a Skuntank. "Crap, more of Sirius' followers," Pikachu said.

"No, we don't serve Sirius," Skuntank said.

"They're right, I don't recognize them," Emma said.

"No offense, but I'm still getting used to the fact you used to be part of the enemy and tried to kill us," Drew said.

"Understandable," Emma replied, sighing slightly.

"But we agree on his stance: that humans need to be eliminated," Purugly said.

"What!" all of the trainers managed to say at once.

"This isn't uncommon," Pikachu said calmly, with his eyes closed and arms crossed. "There are plenty of Pokemon out in the world who despise humans." He then opened his eyes again. "If you're not with Sirius, who shares the same idea and why are you here?"

"We're here on other business," Skuntank said. "Business that isn't yours."

"How pathetic," Purugly said. "They're already convinced by their human partners and won't help us. Traitors and weaklings."

"I think you need to let your actions speak for yourselves before you go on judging others!" Piplup snapped angrily. "Least we have room to talk."

"A challenge is it?" Skuntank asked. "What do you think Purugly? Do we have time for a little skirmish?"

"Why not?" Purugly said, smirking. "It's been awhile since I had a good fight anyway."

"You sure have a way of provoking," Absol muttered towards Piplup.

"Look, it doesn't have to be like this," Ash said, trying to calm the situation down. "I understand what you must think of humans."

"No human, you understand nothing!" Purugly snapped. "Humans have their own purposes in this world, but why should we be involved? The power to your cities, the entertainment that draws in tourists and money, all because of us! Against our will! We'd be better off if the human race never existed."

"You're wrong about that," Pikachu then said. "True, _some _humans have dark ambitions, but we depend on them just as they depend on us. Homes destroyed by severe weather, eventually returned due to human aid, Pokemon Centers to help the sick and wounded. But most importantly, the journeys we go on with our trainers are meant to strengthen our bond, as well as Pokemon and humans all together."

* * *

(A/N: And now it's time for BOSS TIME! Sorry… that was a bit overdramatic. XD Anyway, the song here is yet another one of PokeRemixStudios' creations, called "Pokemon D/P Remix – Gym Leader Battle/Elite Four.")

* * *

"We understand your position," Skuntank said. "But there is no chance of being able to convince us otherwise since our minds are already made up. If you wish to carry on and stop Sirius, you'll have to defeat us first."

"You two," Purugly said, motioning towards Pikachu and Piplup. "Let's just see how strong you are."

"Fine," Piplup said. "We'll give them a run for their money, won't we Pikachu?"

*"If that's what they want, fine," Pikachu then said. _"This would be nothing new anyway…" _But still, something was strange about all this. Pikachu decided to take on Purugly while Piplup took on Skuntank.

"Sludge Bomb!" Skuntank cried, launching the first attack.

"BubbleBeam!" Piplup said, countering the move and causing a small explosion.

"Fury Swipes!" Purugly said, going after Pikachu.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu said, his tail glowing white and using it to defend against Purugly's attack. The battle raged on for the next couple minutes, as Pikachu and Piplup were giving it their all, since their opponents were no pushovers. Soon however, both of them stopped.

"They're stronger than we thought," Skuntank said.

"It doesn't matter, we got what we needed," Purugly said. "Just remember, Sirius isn't the only one who has their eyes on you." And with that, they disappeared.

"Okay… that was just weird," Pikachu said, a confused look on his face. However, Emma's face showed that something was bothering her.

"What is it Emma?" Piplup asked.

"It's just what they said," Emma replied. "There can't possibly be anyone else other than Sirius… It's not possible."

"In all honesty, I think they were just trying to intimidate us," Brock then said. "Even if they aren't with Sirius, they definitely have the same idea."

* * *

(A/N: Okay, last song here. I'm not exactly sure of the name of the song here but from what I've seen, it's called "Title Demonstration" from Star Fox (the SNES version.))  


* * *

"Well, what matters most right now is that we get to Dialga and Palkia," Ash said.

"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Drew asked.

"…I'm not sure," Ash admitted. However, their question would soon be answered.

*Suddenly, a large portal started appearing above them. However, it appeared pink and soon started acting like a vacuum. "What's going on!" Emma cried out.

"We're being sucked into that portal!" May cried, holding onto Blaziken. They then were swept into it and it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, leaving Spear Pillar as quiet as it was before.

* * *

(A/N: And that will do it! I'll say it right now… I HATE FILLER CHAPTERS! It's never been my strength at all and you can see how and why. Oh well, I planned on ending the chapter this way but not to worry, since the next chapter will be more intense with much more action. So until then, faithful viewers, remember this: why buy HeartGold or SoulSilver when you can save up for a 3DS and Black or White. :D)

FoxMcCloud7921


	24. Palkia and Dialga

(A/N: Alright, the first song here is "Link Will Save Us" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Pretty much I used this song because it's sad but has that tinge hope added to it.)

* * *

Chapter 24: Palkia and Dialga

*Dawn sighed. If she had known the time, she would be able to tell how long she had been in this cell. Unfortunately, there was no signal. In fact, she wasn't getting anything, no time, date, anything on her Poketch. And worse, it seemed Lex was still gone.

"_Ash, I was told you were coming for me," _she then said in her head. _"I don't know where you are now, but please hurry. I don't know what they'll end up doing to me here, so my time may be short. I beg you Ash and Pikachu; help me if you can and if worse comes to worse…at least take care of Piplup, because he means more than anything to me, just like I am to him."_

She sighed again and sat down. "I hope you can come back soon Lex," she said. "I could use a friend right now."

Then, she heard someone calling her name, causing her to look up and then smile.  


* * *

(A/N: So now we get to the legendary encounter. The next song I have here is "Palkia" from Arceus and the Jewel of Life. Then after that, the next song will be "The Decisive Battle" from Final Fantasy V.)

* * *

It had happened so fast. One second, Ash and the others were traveling through some sort of vortex at incredible speed, and the next, they were practically floating in space, yet they were still able to breathe. "Where are we?" Emma asked.

"I think… we're in another dimension…" Brock said.

"But how are we breathing?" May then asked.

"This dimension apparently must contain oxygen," Absol said calmly.

*Suddenly, Pikachu' ears perked up, and usually that wasn't a good sign. "Watch out!" he then cried out as a pink beam of energy shot towards them. Everyone jumped out of the way as the attack, causing a small explosion.

"What was that!" Ash cried out.

"Humans!" a voice then cried out. "Never have any entered this dimension before. This is my world that you are trespassing against. However… you called for me." Then, out of the shadows, a figure appeared. "And here I am. I am Palkia, the deity of space. I know why you've come here: to oppose against Sirius. *However, this is the farthest you shall come humans, so prepare yourselves!"

"Guess we back ourselves out of this one," Pikachu said.

"Don't worry, I will fight alongside all of you this time," Emma said, standing next to him. "I'll prove my worth."

"Fools," Palkia said, the pearl on his side glowing as he began charging up energy in his arm. "Now you will experience true pain. Spacial Rend!" He then swung his arm forward, causing another arc of energy to come and hit them directly.

"Now's our chance," Absol then said. "He can't attack again for some time after using Spacial Rend! Razor Wind!"

"Thunderbolt!" both Pikachu and Emma cried out.

"_Crap, my attacks won't do so well here but I have to try." _"Hydro Pump!" Piplup said.

"Overheat!" Blaziken said.

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix said. It seemed that both fire and water attacks weren't going to deal as much damage.

However, the attacks struck, sending Palkia back slightly. "You're stronger than I thought," he said. "But enough of these games, you must be eliminated!" Palkia then used DragonBreath, a long yellowish beam emanating from his mouth. The attack struck them once again, causing a mass amount of damage. "What… how can you still be standing after both attacks! Enough of this." Palkia then flew higher above them and once again charged up energy for Spacial Rend. "As strong as you are, even _you_ cannot handle the full power a legendary Pokemon!"

"Hurry, attack while we have the chance!" Pikachu then said. "Perhaps if we do enough damage, it'll stop Palkia from attacking."

"Together then!" Emma said. "Charge Beam!"

"Hydro Pump!"

"Overheat!"

"Razor Wind!"

"Flamethrower!"

Pikachu then charged up energy and jumped right into the combination of attacks. "Volt Tackle!"

"Not so fast!" Palkia said, now ready. "Spacial Rend!" The attack came but once it hit Pikachu, it did damage him, instead increasing the power of the attack. "No… what… power!" Palkia managed to say before the attack hit him, sending him skyward.

Pikachu then landed perfect as the electricity around him fizzled out. "How did you just do that?" Emma then asked.

"In time, you'll find I'm full of surprises," Pikachu replied.

There then came a loud groan as Palkia slowly lowered himself down to their level. "I… had the strangest feeling," he said. "Humans…? Normally I would ask how you would end up here but as of late I have not been myself it seems. I assume you are the ones who helped me?"

"That we did," Pikachu replied. "You were being brainwashed."

"Brainwashed?" Palkia asked. "Hm… I suppose it makes sense… And I assume these humans here are your trainers?"

"That's right Palkia," Ash then said.

"Palkia, did you meet another human here before?" Brock asked.

"Another human?" Palkia asked. "…Yes, I remember now. Somehow he found his way here without my doing. He asked… if I could help him achieve something. But, there was something troubling about him so I told him to be gone. The second I turn my back, I feel as if my mind has left my body, as if I'm in another dimension. But, normally humans can't have that sort of power."

"Well, Sirius isn't exactly _normal_," Emma said. "I fear Dialga may be in the same state as you were Palkia."

"Can you take us to Dialga?" Ash then asked. "It's probably still under Sirius' control."

"I can," Palkia responded. "After all, you did save me, as well as the other legendaries before you. However, I can tell your Pokemon are tired and if they fight against Dialga, they will not last long. I may have to deal with Dialga myself if need be."

"So you're going to help us?" May asked.

"Like I said, it's to repay the good deed of helping me," Palkia said. He then made what sounded like a sigh. "It has been many years since I entered Dialga's dimension. Even if he wasn't controlled, Dialga will no doubt be hostile for invading his territory. Expect a fight."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time," Piplup muttered.

"But I will help you," Palkia said. "With our combined strength, it should take less time to knock Dialga to his senses." He then opened up a portal. "This is a special rift. Using it, I can travel to other dimensions. This is how we'll get to Dialga." He then nodded, allowing them to go first. However, little did they know that the portal before acted just like the one before, sucking them in at a great speed. "Hm, guess I should've warned them about that," Palkia then said.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, the next song on the list is "Dialga" from Arceus and the Jewel of Life. After that, it's another one of PokeRemixStudio's remixes, which is "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2 – Primal Dialga Remix.")

* * *

After the same rush experienced before, Ash and the others found themselves at yet another strange location. However, it differed slightly from where they were before. There was actual ground that they were standing on and it was also dark but in the distance they could a faint _ticking_ sound.

"So this must be where Dialga resides," Ash said.

"Nice place," Pikachu said with a bit of sarcasm.

*"Wait a minute, where's Palkia?" Piplup said. That quickly got everyone's attention.

"Wasn't Palkia supposed to be right behind us?" Drew asked.

"_Can anyone hear me?" _a voice then said.

"Palkia?" May asked.

"_Yes, I'm afraid there's a bit of a problem," _Palkia said. _"After you entered into Dialga's dimension, it seems he used Roar of Time to seal the entryway, blocking my way. I'll try to get through as quickly as I can but it may take some time. Think quick though, Dialga knows you're there."_

"Oh great," Piplup said. "Well isn't this typical?"

All of a sudden a booming voice sounded off in the entire area. "Who dares trespass on my domain?" Suddenly, two red eyes appeared as the silhouette of a large Pokemon stood in front of them. "So, you've entered my domain without my approval… Do you wish to do harm against me? If so, you're walking down a dangerous path to your unfortunate deaths."

"Dialga, we're not here to hurt you," Ash said. "Was there a human here before us, named Sirius?"

"Sirius…?" Dialga then asked. "Yes… you're here to oppose him aren't you?" The diamond crested on his chest started glowing a fiery red. "If that's the case, then you must be destroyed!"

*"Ash," Brock then said. "Our Pokemons' strength is dwindling. They won't last very long if they have to fight."

"I know," Ash replied. "Please hurry Palkia…"

"Now…" Dialga then said. "If you wish to defeat me, it will take great strength to do so. Let's see just how strong you are. Roar of Time!" Dialga, who had been charging up energy all this time, sent a large, navy blue beam of energy straight at the group, knocking them all back.

"What power…" Blaziken said, struggling to get up.

"We won't last long against him like this," Absol said. "We're still feeling the effects of the last battle…"

"We still have to try," Pikachu said. "At least give more time for Palkia. Come on, Thunderbolt!"

"Hydro Pump!" Piplup said.

"Charge Beam!" Emma said.

"Razor Wind!" Absol said.

"Overheat!" Blaziken said.

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix said.

The attacks combined together once and hit Dialga, causing a small explosion. However, once the smoke cleared, Dialga still stood there, mostly unscathed. "Is that… the best you can do?" Dialga then said. "I see… you are not as strong as I thought. This will be much easier then. Roar of-" Suddenly, Dialga was cut off as a pink slash of energy came out of nowhere and hit him directly, sending him back. "WHAT!" The others looked up as a portal had appeared and out came Palkia who went full force, colliding straight into Dialga. "You!" Dialga then spat. "I should've known you would be one to betray us and help the humans!"

"No Dialga, you're the traitor, or at least of now you are!" Palkia said. "A human attacked you and took advantage of your mind. Try to fight against it!"

"You fool!" Dialga roared, knocking Palkia off of him. "Roar of Time!"

Palkia reacted quickly, forming a shield around him to protect against the attack. Acting quickly, Palkia activated another portal. "Hurry, you must get out of here!" Palkia said to Ash and the others. "I'll take care of Dialga!" Ash and the others then got their Pokemon and ran towards the portal jumping right into it out of Dialga's dimension.

* * *

They then landed on what appeared to be solid ground. Looking up, they saw they were back at Spear Pillar. "Phew, we finally made it back," Ash said.

"So now what?" Pikachu asked.

"I guess we wait," Brock answered.

It wasn't long before another portal opened with both Palkia and Dialga colliding into one of the structures in front of them. "That's enough Dialga!" Palkia said, using Dragon Claw to knock Dialga off of him.

"So, what're you going to do now Palkia?" Dialga said. "Will you attempt to kill me?"

"If it prevents the extinction of the entire human race, yes," Palkia said, charging up energy. "Arceus will understand…"

Suddenly, a strange electric current started sending bolts between Dialga and Palkia and the humans behind them. "What kind of trick is this Palkia?" Dialga said accusingly.

"It is not mine," Palkia said. "Unless… no… it couldn't be!"

A large black rift then appeared on the ground in front of them. Then, two red eyes appeared, staring both Dialga and Palkia down. "You have angered me for the last time," a deep voice said, before an ear-splitting screech was heard. Soon, the creature disappeared and the rift started pulling both the legendaries and Ash and the others with them and the last thing they saw going in was darkness.

* * *

(A/N: And that's where it ends in this chapter! Actually, I was originally going to have the next part in this chapter as well, but decided to split it off and end it right here, as the ultimate cliffhanger. Muahaha! Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and sorry for it taking so long. It took me awhile to actually "want" to write the next chapter. :/ And remember, save a pelican, blow up BP. :D)

FoxMcCloud7921


	25. Entering the Reverse World

(A/N: Welcome back everyone. As before in the last couple chapters we got ourselves another song to start off with! The name of the song here is "Guardando nel buio" from Kingdom Hearts. Oh yeah, about being at the beach, well, I unfortunately didn't bring my laptop which will explain why it took so long to upload this chapter.)

* * *

Chapter 25: Entering the Reverse World

After once again being sucked into yet another void, the group of trainers found themselves on what appeared to be soft ground. "Where are we now?" Ash then asked.

"I don't know and I don't care anymore because I'm getting ticked off!" May cried out in anger. "I'm getting sick and tired of being thrown into all of this against my will!"

"May, calm down!" Drew said, sweatdropping along with everyone else. "It's best if we just try to figure out where we are and how we get out of here."

"Agreed," Brock said. "Say, where are Dialga and Palkia?"

Meanwhile Palkia, who was in a different area, shook his head to clear it. He then looked and saw Dialga collapsed onto the ground. "Dialga, are you alright?"

Dialga groaned and opened his eyes slowly. "Palkia?" he then said. "What has happened? And why are we _here_?"

"It's a long story," Palkia said. "But I'm glad you've finally come to your senses." All of a sudden, there was a sudden _whoosh! _as they saw a large, dark shadow approach them.

*"Your fighting has caused pollution to this world, the one I am supposed to protect!" the Pokemon said, revealing itself.

"Giratina," Dialga said. "Our apologies. We weren't ourselves before. Our minds were being controlled-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" Giratina screeched. "Your actions have wronged this world, and I will make you pay!" He then used Will-O-Wisp on Palkia but he managed to dodge it.

"I see there's no way out of this one," Palkia then said. "You think Giratina is being controlled?"

"I don't think so," Dialga said. "He seems too much like himself."

Giratina then used Shadow Force, causing himself to disappear. However, he then reappeared behind Dialga but Palkia then came and smashed right into Giratina. "Stop this Giratina!" Palkia said. "We're not here to fight and we'll be willing to leave if you let us!"

Giratina then knocked him off. "Even if I were to believe your words, how do I know this won't happen again?"

"Damn it Giratina, you're too focused on your anger from past events you aren't getting the clear picture!" Dialga said.

"Enough of your useless banter!" Giratina said, attacking with Shadow Ball. Dialga formed a shield around him which absorbed the attack. "My duty here is to protect this world and your actions alone are already doing too much damage!" He then went forward and used Dragon Claw on Palkia, sending him flying back. Giratina then continued with the assault, slamming into him once more and then using Will-O-Wisp once again.

Ash and the others had climbed down a good way and soon noticed the battle before them. "Whoa, what Pokemon is that?" Ash asked.

"I don't recognize it, but it must've been the one that sent us here," Piplup said.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, the next song here is "Giratina" from Arceus and the Jewel of Life.)

* * *

*Palkia was then sent backwards from the attack and knocked into one of the floating cliffs, causing him to collapse to the ground. Relentless, Giratina then attacked again using Will-O-Wisp, striking Palkia before he could even get up. Giratina then flew over him, pausing momentarily.

"Giratina, stop this!" Dialga then said. "At this rate, you're going to kill him!"

"Maybe that's what I want," Giratina said softly.

"Don't be stupid," Dialga replied. "Is that really what you want?"

"What I really want is anyone, humans and Pokemon alike, to stop destroying this world," Giratina said. "It is my duty to protect it, and I will go by any means to do so."

"If you kill him, will you actually feel better about yourself?" Dialga said. "Giratina, I beg you to listen. What we know is vital, not only to the human world but this world as well."

"…What do you mean?" Giratina asked.

"If we don't stop this now, humans will all be eliminated," Dialga said. "And more than likely this world will be affected by it."

Giratina was quiet for a few moments, while looking down at Palkia. Then, there came what sounded like a sigh. "Very well," he said. "My apologies, to both of you. Forgive me for my rage… I am and always will be most territorial."

"Not just us," Palkia said, flying up slowly. "You brought some other guests."

"Oh?" Giratina said. He looked over and saw the group of humans and their Pokemon. "Humans? Well, I suppose you know them then?"

"They are the ones who are gonna help fix everything," Dialga said.

"Hmm…" Giratina said. "Then I extend my apologies to you as well. I'm sure the others can explain what is going on in your world."

"If I'm sensing things right, the others are safe," Palkia said. "We will have to consult with them."

Giratina and Dialga both nodded. "As for you, humans, I will help return you back to your world," Giratina said. "When we have finished meeting, we will all return to you and explain what we have talked about."

"That's fine by me," Ash said. "But how long is it gonna take?"

"Not too long, hopefully," Dialga said. "But this is a serious matter, and we will have to get to business quickly. Time, unfortunately, is not on our side."

Giratina then rose higher into the air and then opened a portal, leading to the human world. "Go now, all of you. We will meet again shortly."

"Good, the sooner the better…" Pikachu then said.  


* * *

(A/N: Eh… I suppose I could add this to the scene since it's… well, you'll see what I mean in a moment. The song here is "Costa del Sol" from Final Fantasy VII.)

* * *

*Soon, after going through the portal, the group found themselves in an area covered in sand. No doubt they were at a beach. "Wait a minute…" Piplup then said. "This is Sandgem Beach, close to Sandgem Town."

"You've been here before?" Ash asked.

"Well… once," Piplup said. "Dawn and I came here after I rescued her. You see, I at one point was at Professor Rowan's lab in Sandgem Town. And well, certain events led to me escaping the lab, which led to me finding Dawn and rescuing her. It had been a crazy day."

"So what do we do now?" May asked. "Do we really have to wait here?"

"That's what we were told," Brock said. "No doubt they're already meeting right now."

"Well, whatever we have to do, it's gonna have to wait," Drew said. "Our Pokemon are exhausted and by the time a plan I figured out, it'll be nightfall."

"Drew is right," Absol said. "We're in no condition to fight, or even travel long distances for that matter."

"Then we'll wait till tomorrow once we find out what to do," Ash declared.

Suddenly, behind them, a goldish glowing light appeared, big enough to fit in your hand. It then moved above them, catching their attention. "Ah, so I see you all made it through in one piece."

"Ho-oh?" Ash and Brock said.

"Indeed, although it's not exactly _me_," Ho-oh said. "It would be best not to get the attention of other humans since they cannot know about this."

Then a silverish light appeared next to Ho-oh. "That is correct," it said. "If the humans know, they'll panic, and Sirius will be on to us."

"Lugia!" Pikachu and Piplup then said.

"Ho-oh, Moltres and the others decided to stay at the Orange Islands just in case," Lugia said.

"A wise choice," Ho-oh said. "Hmm… the others should be arriving shortly…" And indeed they did, as more glowing lights appeared, representing the legendaries they encountered before. It made sense now since it would be hard to fit so many large Pokemon in a small area. "Now that we are all here, we can discuss the current situation facing us. As for all of you, I'd like to introduce some other friends of ours. Meet Latios, Latias, Entei, Raikou, and Mew." Each of the Pokemon then greeted the trainers before them and their Pokemon.

"So have you come up with a plan?" Pikachu asked.

"We have," Lugia said. "You see, your efforts helping us won't be for nothing. We can help you get to Sirius."

"How?" Emma asked.

"Being a legendary has it's… advantages," Suicune said. "Using our powers, we can create a portal to where Sirius' domain is."

"After that, it's all up to you," Groudon said.  


* * *

(A/N: Alright, this is probably going to be the last song here. The name of it is "Return to the Subject" from Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII.)

* * *

*"But it's best if we get to the main point of all this," Ho-oh said. "As we've found out, there was more than one reason why Sirius was using us."

"Why is that?" Ash asked.

"Sirius' ultimate plan all along," Lugia said. "Was to awaken Arceus."

"Arceus?" Brock asked.

"The creator of the entire Pokemon universe," Dialga said.

"And if he is awoken, that's bad news," Palkia said. "Arceus has the power to destroy us all."

"Destroy us all?" May said fearfully. "Oh no…"

"At first, I had thought Sirius was using us against Arceus," Ho-oh said. "But it seems we were just expendable. It didn't matter what you did, because Sirius' plan could still go as planned."

"So you mean, we played right into his hands?" Piplup asked.

"There was no way you could've known," Celebi asked. "We're all grateful for what you did."

"And now it is our turn to play our role in this fight," Rayquaza said. "So that you can finish yours."

"What shall we do then?" Drew asked.

"It is getting late and you all must be tired," Lugia said. "It would be fair for us to wait till morning at least."

"I agree," Ho-oh said. "We will return at this spot tomorrow. For now, I think it's best to rest and prepare yourselves: There's no telling what you'll be faced against." And with that, the legendaries then disappeared, leaving the beach empty once again.

"So, we're really doing this, huh?" Brock asked.

"Yep," Ash said. "The last part of this entire journey." _"Hang in there Dawn, just a little more. It's almost over."  


* * *

_

(A/N: And that's where we'll end it here! Once again, I apologize for the delayed upload. But, at least it's done, and actually, we're getting close to the end so it's possible I may get this done ahead of schedule, which is even better. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and remember Rule #32: Enjoy the little things, and yes I got that from watching Zombieland.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	26. The Stage is Set

Chapter 26: The Stage is Set

Later on that night, Ash and the others returned to Sandgem Town and headed towards the Pokemon Center and ended up spending the night there. Early the next morning they would plan on returning to Sandgem Beach.

As the night progressed and after everyone went to sleep, Piplup found himself awake once again. He couldn't sleep and wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was nerves getting the best of him. After all, they were about to head straight into the fight of their lives, literally. Or, maybe he was getting excited, because he was going to be reunited with Dawn soon. He couldn't have any negative thoughts about it. He knew how strong she was, because her will was just like his.

Sighing, he gave up trying to fall back asleep and got up, walking to the balcony. To his surprise, or perhaps feeling no surprise at all, he saw Pikachu standing outside as well. "Can't sleep either huh?" Pikachu then asked him, without even glancing at him.

"Yeah," Piplup said, going up next to him. "Probably not good that I can't, but to be honest, I would be rushing off to save Dawn right now if I could."

Pikachu then smiled slightly. "Yeah, I can't blame you there." He then looked at Piplup finally. "You know Emma is out here too."

"She is?" Piplup asked.

"Yeah, around the corner," Pikachu replied, nodding towards the corner of the balcony.

"Why aren't you talking to her?" Piplup then asked.

"I did," Pikachu said. "But she just wanted some alone time for a bit. I think she needs someone to comfort her."

Piplup then saw Pikachu smirking at him. "Wait a minute, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh come on, don't deny it," Pikachu said. "I know you like her, and she likes you too. The way you two seem to avoid each other's eyes."

Piplup found himself blushing. "Damn it," he then said. "Was it really that obvious?"

"Yep, it was," Pikachu said. "But don't worry about it, it happens."

"Wait, I thought you liked her though," Piplup said.

"I did, but I realized she's a bit young for me," Pikachu said, grinning. "Besides, you two would make a better couple anyway."

Piplup sighed. "Ugh, fine. I'll talk to her. But I swear to Arceus if you say anything about this I will kill you, even if I am a water-type." Pikachu then shook his head in amusement while Piplup went around the corner.  


* * *

(A/N: Well, I suppose some sweet music is needed here, even though this was last second. The song here is "Vanille's Theme" from Final Fantasy XIII.)

* * *

Once Piplup went around, he then saw Emma only a matter of feet in front of him, staring into the moonlight. _"Wow, the way she looks up at the stars makes her look even cuter," _Piplup thought. _"Wait a minute, aw damn it I did it again!" *_Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he then walked up to her. "Hey."

Emma almost jumped. "Oh, Piplup!" she then said quickly. "I'm sorry; I got distracted because I was thinking about some things."

"You alright?" Piplup asked.

"…I don't know," Emma said. "I've never done anything out of revenge before. But… Sirius killed Lex, and Lex was the only friend I had. …I loved him."

"Oh," Piplup said, disappointment in his voice. "Well, I understand." He then turned around.

"Wait," Emma then said, taking his flipper. "I know that, most importantly, Lex wanted what was best for me, to make sure I was happy in life. And right now, I would be happy being with you."

"Emma…" Piplup said, turning around to face her. "You mean that?"

"Yes," Emma said, getting close to him. "I do." She then pulled him closer and soon their lips (lips and beak to be precise) met. Once they broke the kiss, they were both blushing deeply. "I'm sorry, that was kind of sudden." _"Oh dear Arceus, this is awkward, shit I'm blushing."_

"No, it's fine," Piplup said. _"Damn she's a good kisser…" _"Um, do you wanna-?"

"Yeah," Emma said, grabbing him and kissing him some more while moving to a more private spot. They kept making out against the railing, hopefully not causing any attention.

"Emma," Piplup said, finally breaking away. "You know we can't do this all night."

"I know," Emma said, sighing slightly. "You're going to need your strength to help save Dawn."

It was silent for a couple moments before Piplup said, "Emma, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" she asked.

"You know that night… when, well, I caught you talking with Sirius?" Piplup asked.

Emma flinched at the question. "Yeah, I remember that."

"Well, were you actually gonna kill me, or at least attempt to, that night?" Piplup asked. Emma was silent for a couple moments and then busted out laughing. "What? What did I say?" Piplup asked, surprised at her response.

"Oh nothing," Emma said, suddenly smirking. Unfortunately, it was the same smirk she had when Piplup confronted her, no doubt making Piplup a bit nervous. "Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't," she then said.

"Oh come on, just tell me, you owe me that much," Piplup said.

"Tell you what," Emma said, coming up to him. "If we happen to survive this next part, maybe I'll tell you. Truthfully."

"Are you kidding me?" Piplup asked.

"Night Piplup," Emma then said, kissing him on the cheek before leaving.

"Emma!" Piplup then cried out. He then sighed. _"Women…"  


* * *

_(A/N: Alright, for this next part here we have the song "The Stage is Set" from Final Fantasy VIII. Yes, it's the same name as the title and I did that because it's fitting for this chapter, so enjoy.)

* * *

*The next morning, the group woke up early to get breakfast and get any supplies for the upcoming trip. No one was coming back without any scratches that was for sure. As soon as that was done, they then headed back to Sandgem Beach, where the legendaries waited for them.

"As we said before, we can only light the way for you," Ho-oh said. "Once you get there, you are all on your own at that point."

"And how exactly do we get there from here?" Ash asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Lugia said. "There's a friend of ours who lives here in Sinnoh. In fact, he should be showing up right about now."

And just like that, coming from the horizon was a flock of what appeared to be Staraptor. The Staraptor in front, who appeared to be the head of the flock then raised his wing in a salute. "Lt. Volans, 3rd Regiment of the Sinnoh Air Force reporting for duty," he said.

"So, is this that "group of Staraptor" you mentioned before?" Pikachu whispered sarcastically, rolling his eyes slightly. Emma just sweatdropped in response.

"Lieutenant, I'm glad you could make it," Lugia said. "You're probably aware that calling you here is serious business. Not to mention it's a life or death situation."

"Understood," Volans said. "But no situation is too much for the 3rd Regiment."

"Good," Ho-oh then said. "You're to escort these humans and their Pokemon. We will light the way."

"Very well," Volans replied. "Hop on board humans. I get the feeling this is gonna be a fun one."

They each then hopped on one of the majestic birds, with Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup getting on the lieutenant himself. "So, you think you can handle what we're about to go through?"

"Human, we're trained to withstand winds of around ninety miles per hour," Volans said. "But for us, we can handle close to one-twenty."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, last song of the chapter. The song here is "Ride On" from Final Fantasy VIII.)

* * *

"Now it's our turn," Lugia said. "Ready for this?"

"Absolutely," Ho-oh said. The glows of light then flew up into the air, above the horizon. *Displaying what looked like a terrific light show, they then combined together, followed by a flash of white light. Once it cleared, a large portal appeared before them, showing them the way to their destination.

"Now ain't that a beauty?" Volans then said. "Don't worry; I know exactly how serious this mission is. Alright boys, let's move out!" Suddenly, the Staraptor spread out their wings and took flight before moving towards the portal. Of course, the wind current became very strong in seconds. "Yep, just as I thought!" Volans almost yelled. "Hold on tight, because we're probably gonna be going at speeds of about a hundred miles per hour right about… now!" Just as he said that, they had entered the portal and suddenly it felt like they were being shot out of a cannon. While that was going on, they were blinded by white light. Now started the beginning of the end.

* * *

(A/N: And that's all for this chapter. Yeah I know, the ending for this kind of sucked but I thought it was best to save what "the other dimension" looked like until next chapter, so don't hate me. So yeah, now starts the beginning of the end and this is where the fun stuff begins. :D Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and just to let everyone know, "volans" is Latin for "flying.")

FoxMcCloud7921


	27. The Dimension That Never Was

Chapter 27: The Dimension That Never Was

Once the light had finally faded, they then saw where they were. Unlike where they had been previously, the place they were now was dark, as if night was the only time of day. Not only that, but there seemed to be no organic life, meaning just ground and rocks. No plant life, trees, nothing. And of course there was also the large fortress that stood before them.

"Whoa," Ash then said.

"Is that what I think it is?" Pikachu asked.

"That… is a pretty big castle/fortress," Piplup said.

Volans meanwhile took a hard left and landed a good distance from where the fortress was, along with the others. "Okay, this is probably the closest we can get without being spotted," he then said. "From here on, you'll have to walk your way and if you're lucky, perhaps they won't spot you."

"What about all of you?" Brock asked.

"We'll be around here somewhere on stand by," Volans replied. "Not like we're going anywhere anytime soon." He then gave another salute. "Good luck humans, your kind and ours alike are counting on you." And with that, the regiment took off, away from the fortress.

* * *

(A/N: To start things off, we have the song "Judgment Day" from Final Fantasy VII OST Remastered. In other words, an epic tune to start this all off so enjoy!)

* * *

"I guess we can only move forward now," Drew said.

"Yep," Ash said. *"The way forward looks long and steep but be careful, we could be ambushed at any time."

And so began the walk towards the large fortress. The pathway was indeed long, narrow and somewhat steep, but it only went one direction, where they needed to go. "We go in there, save Dawn, stop Sirius, and hopefully get out of here alive," Ash then said.

"Too bad it won't be that easy," Pikachu replied.

"Nope, wasn't expecting it to be," Ash said. "I'm not even sure if this will be a two-way trip."

"As long as I see Dawn again, I'll be happy and relieved no matter what," Piplup added. As they continued on, they kept an eye out just in case. But of course, they didn't quite expect-

"That's close enough," a voice then said. A portal then appeared, showing a Nidoking. "Sirius had expected your arrival," Nidoking said. "But unfortunately, this is about as far as you go."

"I don't think so," Pikachu said. "We're gonna make our meeting with Sirius personal."

"Not an option," Nidoking said. As he talked, multiple portals appeared around them, revealing other Pokemon. "You see, Sirius is rather busy finishing preparations for his final plans, and doesn't want to be disturbed with your reckless actions so we'll just have to eliminate you."

* * *

(A/N: Okay, for the next song we have "Scherzo di Notte" from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. Yeah, I seem to use this song a lot don't I? Well… here's the latest version! XD Oh yeah, and if you can find an extended version, that works too.)

* * *

*"Now, attack!" The other Pokemon then charged forward, going for the first attack. However, Emma and the others were ready.

"Thunderbolt!" Emma cried out.

"Mega Kick!" Blaziken said.

"Water Pulse!" Absol said.

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix said.

"Whirlpool!" Piplup said.

With that, all of the Pokemon had been knocked out, leaving Nidoking left standing. "Guess I have to do everything myself then!" Nidoking growled.

"Pikachu!" Ash then said.

"Got it Ash!" Pikachu said, facing down Nidoking. Taking this Pokemon down shouldn't be too much of a problem.

"You annoying little rat!" Nidoking roared. "Since you're the most annoying of the group, I'll take you out myself. Earth Power!" He then sent his fist towards the ground, causing it to crack. If he kept doing this, they were all gonna go down with him.

Pikachu then charged forward and jumped into the air. "Iron Tail!" His tail then glowed white and soon came down on Nidoking, sending him back slightly. Nidoking only got angrier and then used Thrash, going at Pikachu with multiple punches.

Pikachu dodged most of them but the last one he didn't quite manage and hit him hard, sending him back right into the ground. Unfortunately, he was slow to get up, not enough time to counterattack. "Now to finish you off!" Nidoking said. "Sludge Bomb!"

There was no time for anyone else to help counterattack but soon they heard "Protect!" Suddenly, out of nowhere, appeared Electabuzz, who used the defensive move to protect Pikachu. "Electabuzz!"

"Surprised to see me huh?" Electabuzz asked.

"Then that means…" Ash looked behind him and there stood Paul, who must have commanded the move.

"More of them!" Nidoking said. "Uh oh…"

"Say Pikachu," Electabuzz said. "Why don't we show this guy how high-caliber us electric-types we are?"

"Gladly," Pikachu said. "Ready when you are."

"Wait a minute!" Nidoking said, now fear in his eyes. "There's no need, I give-"

"Brick Break!" Electabuzz said, despite that fighting moves were resistant against ground-types.

"Iron Tail!" Pikachu said, as both of them collided right into Nidoking. Despite this, the force was enough for Nidoking to be sent back and off the ledge completely. "Hm… do you think we went too far?"

"Nah," Electabuzz said, not feeling a bit of regret. "He deserved it."

_"Guess he really does take after his trainer," _Pikachu thought.

"Paul," Ash said meanwhile. "What are you doing here?"

"I think the real question is _how _he got here?" Piplup said.

"I've recently had a change of heart," Paul said.

"That's it?" Brock asked. "I think there's more to it."

Paul sighed. "If I told you, you would probably find it ridiculous."

"Nah, we've had our own weird experiences so far," Emma said.

"Fine," Paul said. "After our recent encounter when I left, Electabuzz and I were going to head back home across Mt. Coronet. That was when something weird happened."

*Flashback*

_Paul and Electabuzz were making their way across the bottom of Mt. Coronet towards Veilstone City. "So you're honestly going to give up on Dawn?" Electabuzz asked._

"_I'm not giving up on her," Paul replied. "But how can I help her? We don't even know where to find her. …For once, I'm not sure what to do…"_

"To find her, you will need the help of others," _a voice then said. _"The ones you met will find her. If you want to be a hero in her eyes, you will have to go back to them."

"_Who is that?" Paul asked._

"A friend," _the voice said._ "I've been looking out for Dawn's safety but I don't know what will happen to her in the future. You have to go back and help them save her. Isn't she your friend?"

_Paul stiffened slightly. "Yes, she is. But how do I know I can trust you?"_

"You don't have to," _the voice replied. _"But I will show you the way." _Suddenly, a portal had opened up. _"Here, this will take you to where Dawn is being held captive. You'll find the others there as well."

"_Paul?" Electabuzz then asked, looking at him._

_Paul stood there for a couple seconds and then looked to his Pokemon. "Come on; let's do this then," he said before they both entered the portal."_

"After that, we ended up here," Paul said. "Probably a good thing we got here when we did."

"So, do you think that was a legendary Pokemon you were talking to?" Ash asked.

"I don't know, possibly," Paul asked. "But at least I know she's trustworthy."

"So it's a female…" Brock said. "Hmm… I guess this legendary has been protecting Dawn all this time."

"Well, we better hurry," Ash said. "Who knows what could happen to Dawn if we don't."

Soon, they had reached the entrance of the fortress. Unfortunately, the door was rather huge. "They sure know how to keep people out," Piplup said.

"Oh, I could get inside easily…" Emma said. "If it was just me."

"Wait, I know," Brock said. "May, how about Blaziken and Vulpix help burn a hole through this door?"

"Good idea," May said. "The floor is yours Blaziken."

"Same for you Vulpix," Brock said.

Blaziken and Vulpix both nodded and started using Flamethrower to make a large hole in the door. Once that was done, Blaziken kicked the large piece of iron out of the door, giving them an entrance. "Nicely done," May said.

"You as well Vulpix," Brock added.

Once they entered, they soon realized it was much bigger on the inside. "Okay, so we all know that it'll be rather difficult to find Dawn here," Pikachu said.

"We can't risk splitting up," Ash said. "There's probably a lot of Pokemon here, but I don't think they know we're here yet."

"Maybe not, but they will soon," Emma said. She shuddered slightly. "I was really hoping I wouldn't have to come here again. Not like this."

There was a stairway with a door ahead of them, which they took and once they went through the door, they then found themselves in a somewhat narrow hallway. "So Emma, just how big is this fortress?" Brock asked.

"Big enough," Emma said. "For Pokemon like me, it isn't hard to travel around. But for humans, it takes much longer. I've never been to this part before, but I think if we keep going the right way, we'll find the area where Sirius usually resides."

As they continued down, passing through another door, they then saw what appeared to be a portal against the wall on the left. "What is this?" Piplup asked.

"Hm… I know what this is," Emma said. "This portal is connected to other portals in this fortress. Once going through, you'll find yourself in another area. Of course, someone opened this portal. But why leave it open?"

"So, if we go through this, we can find Dawn a whole lot quicker?" Ash asked.

"Pretty much, or at least get closer to her location," Emma replied. "But I wouldn't know where this would lead."

"Well, it's worth the risk," Ash said. "Come on Pikachu and Piplup."

"Wait a minute, if you go-" Emma shouted. But it was too late, as Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup went through, the portal immediately closed. Emma groaned while face palming. "If you go through one, it'll close right after…"

* * *

(A/N: And that's where we'll end, for yet ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! Actually, I just decided to end it here mostly because there'll be more action in the next chapter and also keep you in suspense, because I'll end up throwing a huge twist at you. XD So anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and I am so getting a 3DS this upcoming spring!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	28. For The Reunion

(A/N: Alright, for this next part here, despite for some reason this feels like a spoiler, here is "Dawn/Hikari's Theme" from the Pokemon Anime.)

* * *

Chapter 28: For The Reunion

The speed that Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup were traveling at wasn't as bad before. Unfortunately, the ending wasn't as good as they crashed right into the ground on the other side of the portal. "Ugh, I should think twice about doing stuff like this from now on," Ash groaned as the others were right beside him.

"Ash?"

"Huh?" Ash looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. "Dawn!"

*"Oh Ash, Pikachu!" Dawn said, running up to him and hugging him tightly. "I knew you would come!" She then gasped. "Piplup!"

"Dawn?" Piplup then said. "Oh Dawn, thank goodness!" They then embraced as well, both happy to be reunited. "I was so worried about you."

"Aw, no need to worry Piplup," Dawn said, smiling. "I was fine all along." Piplup sighed happily, not even bothering to tell her he worries more when she says that.

"Really?" Pikachu asked. "Not sure how you could hold up in a place like this for so long."

Dawn giggled. "Well, let's just say a new friend of mine has been looking over me despite the fact he shouldn't have been."

There was then a chuckle. "Too true Dawn." Suddenly, a portal appeared and out came a Luxio.

"Lex, you came back," Dawn said, smiling.

"Lex!" Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup said at once.

"Wait a minute," Pikachu said. "I thought you were dead."

"It's a long story," Lex said. "I'll explain when I have time, but right now I think it's time we get out of here. Good thing your Pokemon showed up because I might need their help."

"What's the plan?" Ash asked.

"Well, there is a way we can get back to your friends," Lex said. "But it may be risky."

"Wait, there are others with you?" Dawn asked Ash.

"Of course," Ash said. "We wouldn't have made it this far ourselves."

"Yes, very true," Dawn replied, smiling again.

"Well, we better leave soon while we have the chance," Lex said.

"Right, we better do this quick," Ash said, standing up.

"Wait, hold on Ash," Dawn then said, grabbing his hand.

"What is it Dawn?" Ash asked.

"I really am grateful for what all of you did," Dawn said. She then started blushing. "And well… while I've been here, I had all these thoughts in my head."

"What kind of thoughts?" Ash asked, blushing as well.

"Well, I always had hoped that you would come rescue me," Dawn said. "And well, along with those thoughts I had these feelings too."

"Um, I'm not exactly sure what you mean Da-" Ash was then cut off since Dawn came up to him and pressed her lips against his. After that, he kissed her back with the same force.

Pikachu and Piplup both sweatdropped, since their trainers just had to do that in front of them. "Is this really the time?" Piplup muttered.

"Well, look at the bright side," Pikachu muttered back. "They could be doing something worse right now in front of us." Piplup shuddered at the thought.

"Um… do you two think maybe you can save that for later?" Lex asked, sweatdropping as well.

"Oh, sorry about that," Ash said as both he and Dawn were blushing crimson.

"Anyway, here's what's gonna happen," Lex said. "Once we get out of here, we need to make a break for it quick. That portal you went through, I can find another that will lead us back, but who knows what we'll encounter, so I'll take point while Pikachu and Piplup take care of the rear."

"Sounds good to me," Pikachu said.

"Don't worry Dawn," Piplup said proudly. "I'll keep you safe this time."

(A/N: Alright, the next song here is called "Jenova Absolute" from Final Fantasy VII OST Remastered. Pretty much it's a song that keeps up with the beat of the action.)

"Alright, on the count of three," Lex said. *"One… two… three!" He then used Iron Tail to smash open the iron door and they immediately made a run for it, with the Pokemon taking on the roles received. They quickly ran down the revolving steps that then led into another corridor. Then, they reached a balcony that they ran across and this was where the Pokemon showed up.

Before any of them could attack, Pikachu, Piplup, and Lex attacked first, holding them off as Ash and Dawn get going. "How much farther Lex?" Ash shouted to him.

"Not far now," Lex said. "We're almost there." It seemed Lex was right, as not too far away they could see a portal. The attacks became fiercer but the Pokemon were able to hold off the attacks. Once they finally reached it, Lex stopped in front of it. "Go ahead, I'll be right behind you." Ash and Dawn then jumped in first, then Pikachu and Piplup. Before it could close, Lex made a final leap and once he was in, the portal vanished instantly.  


* * *

(A/N: Alright, the next song coming up here is "The Promise" from Final Fantasy XIII.)

* * *

"So… what exactly are we supposed to do now?" May asked.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure," Emma said. "Portals like these are complex and we have no idea where they went, and if they found another, it could lead them to somewhere even farther from here." All of a sudden, another portal appeared behind them and out came Ash, Dawn, Pikachu, and Piplup. "Or… it could just lead them back here…" Emma said, sweatdropping.

"Ash!" Brock said as he and the others went up to them. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash said, while Brock helped him up.

"You must be Dawn," May said, helping her up.

"Yes," Dawn said. "Wait, all of you are with Ash?"

"Yeah, kind of a weird way to meet new people," Drew said. "But once we heard what was going on, we couldn't just refuse."

"Wow," Dawn said. All of a sudden her eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, all of you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"It's no problem," May said happily. "A friend of Ash's is a friend of ours."

"Once we get out of here, I'll have to introduce you to my cooking," Brock said after they all introduced themselves. "That'll definitely rejuvenate you."

"Thank you," Dawn said, laughing. "I'll be looking forward to just about anything." She then looked around. "Wait a minute, where's-"

Then, out of the portal came Lex. *Of course, the others were surprised to see him but that was nothing compared to the surprise and shock that was on Emma's face. "Lex?" Emma then said.

Lex looked over to her, a hint of surprise on his face. "Emma…" he then softly. Emma then walked up to him slowly. There was a pause and then she swung back and slapped him hard across the face. Lex was a bit surprised by the move, but just looked down. "I suppose I deserve that…"

"You're damn right you do!" Emma said, now upset. "I thought you were dead Lex, and now you just show up like this, why?"

"I didn't have a choice," Lex said. "What you saw wasn't me, it was a double I created so I could lure off Sirius for a little while. If not, his spies would've been on my every move. What happened to Malakye?"

"I killed him," Emma said. "He was gonna try to kill me, more out of jealousy though."

"I see," Lex said. "My wounds were rather bad. I'm surprised I was able to pull off what I did."

"Well, I almost didn't fare any better," Emma said. She then gave him a hug. "But you couldn't just tell me?"

"I'm sorry Emma," Lex said. "That was my biggest mistake in all this: making you worry. But not again. This time, we'll fight together."

"I'm taking your word on that," Emma said. She then sighed. "Well, now that we're all reunited, what's next?"

"Sirius now is the main priority," Ash said. "Once we stop him, it'll all be over and hopefully everything can be just like before."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, I haven't decided yet if this is the last song or not but the song is "The World That Never Was" from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.)

* * *

"That would definitely be nice," Dawn said. *"So Lex, can you and Emma show us where to find him?"

"That won't be too hard," Lex said. "Allow me to lead the way. But remember, they know we're here now so expect any ambushes or traps." They moved on, going on through the next door. "Sirius has his own chamber somewhere in the middle part of the fortress," Lex continued. "From here, we don't have much farther to go, so once again stay alert."

After going through a couple more corridors, they then found themselves in a large room surrounded by balconies and ledges, as well as two staircases that led to a large door above. "Yes, we're definitely close now," Emma said. "Past that door is one more corridor and then we'll have reached Sirius' chambers."

However, Pikachu had a weird feeling. "Something's wrong here though," he said. "How is it that we're so close yet we haven't encountered practically any Pokemon. I'm sure there are many in this fortress."

"You know, you're right about that," Lex said. "Better take a look around just in case." He then looked to Emma and smiled. "You think you and I should do the honors?"

"Sounds good to me," Emma said, and they both disappeared, splitting up and appearing above on either side of the room. The balconies looked empty, but that wasn't enough. Especially in a place like this, it was easy to sneak up and attack anyone. And there was no doubt in anyone's mind that something was about to happen. Little did they know that they were right…

Emma and Lex then returned back to the main floor. "Nothing here," Lex said.

Meanwhile, a Treecko was hanging onto one of the columns nearby at an angle so that he couldn't be seen. He had been keeping an eye on the group for the past couple of minutes and soon charged up an Energy Ball.

"Guess we caught them at a bad time," Emma said. "Anyway, we better move while we have the chance."

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Lex sensed movement and a pale glow. His eyes widened as he knew what was about to happen. "Emma!" he cried out, charging out towards her as the attack struck.

* * *

(A/N: Lois… I did it again! XD Yes, I just pissed off a bunch of viewers again by putting yet another cliffhanger! I'm sorry, but it just begged me to put it. Well, kind of. But I promise, this will be the last official cliffhanger of the story, unless it's needed. And I'll keep my word. So, hope you enjoyed the chapter and I think one certain person will be happy Lex is back. ;) )

FoxMcCloud7921


	29. The Final Clash

(A/N: To start things off, we have the song "Unversed Boss – Version 1" from Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep.)

* * *

Chapter 29: The Final Clash

*The attack struck as quickly as Lex moved to get Emma out of the way. Once the smoke cleared, it seemed Lex and Emma were both unscathed. "You alright?" Lex asked.

"Yeah," Emma said. "Thanks for saving me."

At that point, it was when the other Pokemon showed up. They were waiting for the perfect time to ambush. Meanwhile, the others went out and started attacking. "Let's help them," Emma then said.

"Right," Lex replied. "I have an idea."

They both nodded and quickly disappeared, only to soon appear again while striking into some of the other Pokemon. Apparently they weren't aware that some of their "comrades" were fighting against them.

Pikachu then jumped back and was at their side. "Thanks for that," he said. "So, wanna send these guys packing?"

"Fine by me," Emma said.

"Good, finally some payback," Lex said. Then, using a combination of Thunderbolt and Thunder, the attack hit the entire group enemy Pokemon and soon sent them running off.

"Phew, that wasn't as bad as I thought," Piplup said.

"They were just grunts," Lex said. "Sirius is trying to delay us. We better hurry now before it's too late." The others nodded and hurried up the steps towards the next room. After going down the corridor, they came to one last door, this one the largest yet.

"Well, this is it," Ash said. "Are we all ready for this?"

"Ready when you are Ash," Brock said as Vulpix nodded in agreement.

"We gotta give it our all, or else we'll never have a chance," May said, looking to Blaziken.

"Time to kick butt and save the world, now there's something I never saw myself doing," Drew said, looking to Absol and smiling.

Paul looked to Electabuzz. "You willing to give it your all?" Electabuzz smiled, and that was all Paul needed.

"The fate of the entire world and all of humanity now rests on our shoulders," Dawn said determinedly. "We can't lose this fight." Piplup nodded in agreement, as well as Lex and Emma.

"Let's go Ash," Pikachu said, jumping onto Ash's shoulder. Ash nodded and went forward, opening the door in front of them.  


* * *

(A/N: Well, I managed to find a suitable song for this part. The thing is, the title of it is a bit weird, but oh well. The name of the song is "Prologue AC195 Xmas Eve" from Gundam Wing.)

* * *

Once they went in, indeed the room was large, the ceiling even larger. Around the room appeared to be windows, but all they showed outside was darkness and what looked like a throne at the end. Definitely a weird place to reside. Immediately, they saw a figure across the room in a black cloak. "Sirius!" Ash then said.

*Sirius chuckled. "Well, it seems I have definitely underestimated all of you. The fact you were able to save all those legendaries is astounding. But… it makes no difference." He then turned around to face them. "Of course, you probably know by now that it was just a distraction in the first place. The destruction they were all causing was meant to cause a… chain reaction so to say. Once enough destruction was caused, eventually it would cause Arceus, the Alpha Pokemon, to appear. And once he does, I will be there personally to greet him."

"What do you plan on doing to Arceus?" Brock asked.

"It's very simple," Sirius said. "Once I have it in my control, all my planning will be completed. Arceus was all I needed all along. It has the power to destroy entire cities in just one attack. It can completely destroy all humans in a short manner of time."

"But… you'll end up killing innocent Pokemon as well!" May cried out.

"Possibly, but it's a chance I'm willing to take," Sirius replied.

"Monster!" Emma said viciously, coming forward. "Humans and Pokemon are not yours to use!"

Sirius just smiled. "What else does one do with tools?" he asked. "Even if all the legendaries were to form together, their power would still not be enough compared to Arceus'."

"We will not let you take control of Arceus!" Dawn cried out. However, it was not Dawn herself who said that as she covered her mouth in surprise.

"Now what's this?" Sirius said, walking forward slightly. "Could this be… ah yes… I thought it would be you. So you've been hiding within this girl so I could not find you. Show yourself, Cresselia!"

"Cresselia!" the entire group said.

Suddenly, an almost ghost-like apparition appeared out of Dawn and it was indeed. "Indeed, I was connected with this girl the entire time, but not to hide but to protect her."

"Wait… that voice…" Paul said. "Cresselia was the one who brought me here!"

"Cresselia…" Dawn said. So that was the voice who told her that Ash was coming.

"Yes, that is right," Cresselia said. "Your evil deeds end here Sirius. You are clearly outnumbered."

Sirius just laughed. "Maybe so, but apparently you yourselves are underestimating _my _power."

"Enough of this!" Cresselia said. "Psycho Cut!" Cresselia attacked using what looked like a green ring. She then sent multiple rings at Sirius, making contact.

"Did that do anything?" Ash said as the smoke appeared.

However, once it cleared away, the fact that Sirius was standing there unscathed meant the attack did nothing. "Cresselia, I'm shocked," he said, amused by this. "Don't you know your kind of attacks have no effect on me."

"What!" Cresselia said, shocked.

"Now see real power," Sirius said, using Shadow Ball which hit Cresselia and hurt her significantly, since she was weak to those kinds of attacks.

"Cresselia!" both Ash and Dawn cried out.

"I have other things to take care of," Sirius said as Cresselia cried out in pain. "But I'll have Cresselia keep you company for the time being."

"Sirius wait!" Ash said as Sirius went out of the chambers. However, he saw something was wrong with Cresselia. "What is it!"

"His power… is taking over me…" Cresselia said. "Please… do something to stop me, before Sirius succeeds…" Soon, she finally lost control of herself and suddenly attacked using Psycho Cut once again.

"We don't have a choice!" Brock said. "We have to get Cresselia back!"

Dawn couldn't believe Cresselia, her own protector, was able to fall so easily. "No… not Cresselia!"

"Ash, we'll take care of this," Pikachu said. "Thunderbolt!"

"Hydro Pump!" Piplup cried out.

"Charge Beam!" both Lex and Emma cried out.

"Overheat!" Blaziken cried out.

"Water Pulse!" Absol said.

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix said.

"Thunder!" Electabuzz said.

The attacks struck Cresselia at once and she went flying into one of the walls. She groaned, weak from the attack now and the one before. The trainers then ran up to the legendary. "Cresselia, are you alright?" Dawn asked.

Cresselia opened her eyes slowly. "Yes," she said softly. "Dawn, I'm sorry that I never told you just who I was. It was risky enough being here in the first place."

"No need to worry," Dawn replied, smiling. "I'm thankful for everything. But why help me in the first place?"

"Because there was someone who wanted you safe," Cresselia said, who looked to Ash and there seemed to be a smile on her face.

"Who, me?" Ash asked.

"Of course," Cresselia said. "You did say that you wanted Dawn to be safe right?"

"I did," Ash said. "So you heard my call?"

The legendary nodded. "It was a risky deed, for I saw what became of the others, but I kept a low profile." She then got up. "Anyway, there's no more time to talk, you need to stop him."

"Cresselia, perhaps maybe you should go back to the others," Brock said. "They're probably wondering where you are."

"Yes," Cresselia said. "That I will do. Just remember: you must stay strong and do not underestimate Sirius' power. There is something about him that really bothers me…" After that, she then disappeared, leaving the trainers and their Pokemon alone.

"Alright, now we finish this once and for all," Ash said as they continued ahead to the next room.

Apparently, Sirius hadn't gone far as he was now staring at some sort of picture, which was of a Pokemon that they didn't recognize. "You know, you are all becoming an annoyance to me," he then said. "I won't let you interfere with my plans."

"Your plans are done Sirius," Lex said. "You won't be able to escape this time."

"Escape?" Sirius said, turning around. "I will do no such thing. In fact, I've waited for this for quite awhile now."  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, here's the song for the first part of the battle here. The name of the song is "Fragments of Sorrow" from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep.)

* * *

*Sirius smiled and soon he was starting to float into the air. "Despite the luck you have had before, know this: I am much stronger than any legendary on this planet. You cannot defeat me."

"We'll see about that Sirius!" Emma said. "Charge Beam!"

"Thunder!" Lex said.

"Thunderbolt!" Pikachu said. The attacks struck him as he flew back slightly but didn't seem to have too much of an effect.

"Perhaps I will kill you two first, seeing as you're both traitors," Sirius said to Lex and Emma. "Dark Pulse!" He shot purple beams of energy out of both hands and managed to hit the three electric-types, causing a good amount of damage to them.

"Whirlpool!" Piplup said, summoning a large vortex of water.

"Mega Kick!" Blaziken said.

"Razor Wind!" Absol said.

"Flame Wheel!" Vulpix said.

"Brick Break!" Electabuzz said.

The attacks hit Sirius and this time they seemed to do more damage. "Impressive," Sirius then said. "You're stronger than I thought. But unfortunately, I won't let this charade go on." He then put his hands close together and summoned a blue ball of fire that suddenly got bigger. "Will-O-Wisp!" The attack struck and hit all of them, hurting them pretty good.

"We have to attack him at once," Pikachu said. "Thunderbolt!"

"Hydro Pump!" Piplup said.

"Charge Beam!" Emma said.

"Thunder!" Lex said.

"Overheat!" Blaziken said.

"Water Pulse!" Absol said.

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix said.

"ThunderPunch!" Electabuzz said.

The attacks came at once and hit Sirius. Surprisingly to him, he was now taking more damage and was thrown back. Once the smoke cleared, he was staggering, down on one knee and gasping. "How… how is it that a bunch of trainers and their Pokemon are even able to hurt me and yet others never have been?" he said, surprised. "No… I won't let this end here…" He looked up then. "Don't think this is over yet!" He then put his one arm in the air, palm stretched out. Suddenly, a black orb appeared and soon expanded incredibly, surrounding the entire area in darkness, which was all they saw now.

* * *

(A/N: And that's where we'll end it for now. I realized if I kept going the whole chapter would be SO FRICKING LONG! I'm serious, because there's well… I can't spoil it yet, so you'll have to wait until next chapter, which will continue the final battle!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	30. Love and Friendship Conquers All!

Chapter 30: Love and Friendship Conquers All!

Once Ash had finally opened his eyes, he saw that the area he was in now looked like a forest. It was strange, as it felt like they were in their world, with the sun shining, the distance sound of water flowing and the sounds of Pokemon nearby.

He then saw that the others had woken up as well. "Where are we?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know, it looks we're back in our world," Ash said.

"But, we can't come back yet!" Piplup said. "We can't have beaten Sirius that easily!"

"That is because you haven't yet." The sudden unfamiliar voice caught them by surprise as they saw a ball of light come towards them. Then, it flashed bright and a silhouette appeared. It appeared to be a large Pokemon, with a white-colored body, four-legged, and what appeared to be rings along its back. "You need not fear me, for I mean no harm," the Pokemon then said.

"Who are you?" May said.

"I am Arceus," the Pokemon declared. "I was the one who brought life to this world, as well as creating the cosmos above it. And, I brought life to all the legendary Pokemon whom you've encountered."

"So, is this the real world then?" Brock asked.

"No," Arceus said. "I brought you here. It serves as a boundary line between the Pokemon world and the dimension you had crossed into. You see, the Pokemon world was in peril and eventually it seemed my aid was needed."

"But it was just meant as a trap," Paul said. "Sirius wanted you to come."

"Indeed," Arceus said. "Of course, it only came to me last second, especially when the natural disasters quickly ceased. The one you know as Sirius meant to use me as a weapon, to wipe out all of humanity. Unfortunately, I _do _have the power to do that."

"So what will you do now?" Drew asked.

Arceus was quiet for a couple moments. "As much as I want to help, I cannot risk the chance of being controlled. Even a Pokemon as powerful as I am has its own weaknesses. I would be a burden to the entire world, and possibly the annihilator. This fight now depends on you. You decide the future of all of us."  


* * *

(A/N: I'm really glad I'm using this song here. The name of the song is "Miracles" from Final Fantasy XIII.)

* * *

*"So, it's true then," Pikachu said. "The future of our world hinges on us."

"We can do this," Ash said, looking at the others. "Look at what we've all accomplished. What we did could almost have been impossible for other trainers, and now the toughest part of this journey now stands upon us. It's not gonna be easy, I know that, but then again nothing here has been easy. One more push and it'll finally be over."

"You're right," Brock said. "Everything comes down to this. If we fail, there is no hope. That's why we can't do that, since we would have too much to lose."

"I agree," May said. "But you know, I've always thought of something. Once this battle is done, it'll be all over. Could this be the last time we ever cross paths?"

"Hey, just because we might not see each other as often doesn't mean we'll all forget about each other," Drew said. "Besides, what's to stop us from seeing each other so often?"

"But there's also another important thing we've learned from all this," Dawn said. She then looked to Paul and smiled.

"What?" Paul asked.

"It revealed the real side of all of us," Dawn replied. "Not to single you out Paul, but obviously you're not the big man you think you are."

"Thanks for letting me know that…" Paul muttered.

"But you're still an awesome guy," Dawn said, winking. "As well as all of you. We can all say we're fortunate to have met each other."

"So, who says we finish this fight once and for all?" Ash said, putting out his hand.

"You got it," Brock said.

"Music to my ears," May said.

"Sounds good to me," Drew said.

"No need to worry," Dawn said. They had all put their hands, one over the other. That then left Paul, who stood there. "Paul?" Dawn then said. "Are you with us?"

"_I guess maybe you can't always accomplish things on your own," _Paul thought. "Alright," he said, putting his hand in as well. _"Maybe eventually I'll get used to them…"_

Ash then looked to all their Pokemon. "You guys ready as well?" They all nodded.

Lex then looked to Emma. "Can you believe we're actually doing this?" he asked her.

Emma smiled. "I never thought we would," she said. "To be honest, I saw things differently before this point, but now I know it's for the best. We're in as well."

"I see you all seem ready," Arceus said. "Very well, I shall return you back to where Sirius is now. On behalf of all us, we thank you…" Suddenly, the entire area around them grew bright and blinded them as they felt a tug as if they were being pulled into something.  


* * *

(A/N: Okay, this will be the last song of the chapter. The song here is "The Final Battle" from Final Fantasy V Advanced. And just so people know, Sirius is obviously greatly weakened from the last fight so it won't last a REAL long time.)

* * *

Once the light cleared, they saw that they were no longer in the chambers. In fact, everything was just pitch black. However, they saw that Sirius was front of them, not even reacting to their return. Was it even possibly he knew they were gone?

"To think all my plans would be ruined because of a bunch of meddling teenagers," Sirius said. "I guess perhaps they were right: Perhaps I couldn't do it all on my own. Very well, I guess if this is it, I will at least go down fighting."

"You don't have to do this Sirius," Ash said. "Sure you did horrible things, but maybe you can turn things around in life."

"You wouldn't understand," Sirius replied. "The life I had was taken and destroyed many years ago. And why is that? Because humans such as yourselves seem to think they can do so much better. Advancing technology despite the fact things are perfect the way they are. Humans try to make things better, but instead they become worse. Humans and Pokemon used to live in harmony, and now humans have taken advantage of them. And yet they don't know they're at the mercy of some of the most powerful beings in the universe? It's depressing."

"And you think humans would be proud of what you would do?" Dawn said. "A human that would cause the destruction of our entire race?"

"Human?" Sirius said, suddenly smiling and chuckling. "You mean me? Perish the thought child." He then threw his arm and was suddenly covered in white light. "I AM MORE THAN THAT!"

The light was blinding, but once it disappeared, where Sirius was now stood a Pokemon, Darkrai. *"This, is what I truly am," he then said. "You humans starved in the cold desolate world this used to be and begged to us. So, we gave life to this world. Your lives depended on us and now you think you can just turn your backs on us? You must learn your place!"

"I should've known there was something weird about you," Pikachu said. "But of course, it all makes sense now. Now it's time to finish you off Sirius! Come on guys! Thunderbolt!"

"Hydro Pump!" Piplup said.

"Flamethrower!" Vulpix said.

"Razor Wind!" Absol said.

"Mega Kick!" Blaziken said.

"ThunderPunch!" Electabuzz said.

"Charge Beam!" Emma said.

"Iron Tail!" Lex said.

The attacks struck Sirius, causing damage. But he wasn't done yet. "Now you will witness my true power!" he said. "You will all perish to the void from within!" Suddenly, he summoned two black spheres and fired them, hitting both Vulpix and Absol. Upon contact, the two Pokemon immediately fell unconscious.

"No! Vulpix!" Brock said.

"Absol!" Drew cried out.

"That was Dark Void," Lex said. "Damn it, if he keeps using that he'll knock us all out! Alright Pikachu, new plan! We gotta step up the offensive!"

"Got it," Pikachu said. "Alright, let's finish this now!"

"Hydro Pump!" Piplup said.

"Mega Kick!" Blaziken said.

"Brick Break!" Electabuzz said.

"Charge Beam!" Emma said.

"Thunder Fang!" Lex said.

The attacks struck Sirius once again, momentarily stunning him. "Now Pikachu! Finish him!" Emma cried out.

Pikachu then started running as fast as he could while electricity started surrounding him. Once he had enough power, he then jumped into the air. "Volt Tackle!" he yelled, hitting Sirius and making him cry out in pain. He then jumped back and got into a stance.

Suddenly, Sirius found himself in human form again and stumbled onto one knee. "…Unbelievable…" he said. "I've been… defeated… but how…?" He then looked to Pikachu and Emma and then it came to him. "Of course," he then said softly. "How could I have been blind this entire time?" He then chuckled as his body started slowly fading away. "I led myself to my own death… So… you're one of _them, _the both of you?"

"What are you talking about?" Pikachu demanded.

"Heh, don't know huh?" Sirius asked. "Well, I wouldn't want to kill the suspense now, would I?"

"Sirius!" Emma said, but it was too late as he then disappeared.

"So… it's over then?" Ash said, as Vulpix and Absol then finally woke up.

"Looks like it," Pikachu said. However, all of a sudden, the "ground" around then started to shake violently, and the darkness around them seemed to crack and shatter as they soon found themselves back in the chambers.

"What's going on?" Dawn asked.

"It's almost as if the dimension is deteriorating from the inside out," Lex said. "We have to get out of here now!" They were about to leave but suddenly, they were getting pulled up as if either gravity no longer existed or something else was causing them to float upwards.

* * *

(A/N: And this is where I stop. For now. Obviously, I have to save the best for last. So, will our heroes make it out in time? And what exactly did Sirius' last words mean? FIND OUT NEXT TIME on the finale of Pokemon Beginnings!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	31. A Brighter Future

(A/N: Alright, here's a very good song for this upcoming part here. The name of the song is "Determination" from Final Fantasy XIII. And now, without further ado, I bring to you the finale of Pokemon Beginnings!)

* * *

Chapter 31: A Brighter Future

*Meanwhile, the outside part of the fortress was starting to collapse due to the increased amount of pressure building up. Because of the collapsing dimension, similar to a black hole forming, the pressure, once it reached its peak, could crush just about anything. The Pokemon were scattering as well, knowing all was lost in this dimension.

The glass ceilings started shattering and out came our heroes, who were still floating upwards. "Whoa! Stay together!" Ash said.

"Hey! Grab my hand!" Brock said to May.

"Alright!" May said as they all made a circle, along with their Pokemon.

However, Pikachu noticed who was missing and saw Emma and Lex way below where they were. "Emma! Lex!"

But, they just stood there, as if fate decided to separate them. Lex then looked over to her. "Emma?" Emma then looked to him as well and smiled.

"What?" Piplup then said.

_Not long ago, I saw a very different future ahead of me. One where I was alone, and the only feelings and duties I had were to eliminate those who were a threat to me. But now, things had changed. And even though I didn't know whether this would be the last time I would see Lex, or Pikachu, or Piplup, or everyone else and their trainers, I knew now that someone did care about me. For once, I had actual friends, and a family._

Suddenly, the most magnificent thing happened. All around them, there were balls of light moving around. Apparently the legendaries had come here and were trying to stabilize the dimension here. Once they started doing that, gravity seemed to stabilize and the pressure eased as well.

While that was going on, they then saw Volans and his flock come towards them to retrieve them, which was a welcoming sign. "Glad to see you all made it in one piece," Volans said. "So, it's really over then?"

"Yeah," Ash said, who then smiled to Dawn who was behind him. "It's over."

* * *

Once they had finally returned to their world, they landed close to the edge of Eterna Forest. After that, they bid farewell to the 3rd Regiment for they had to return to their main duties. It wasn't long before the legendaries soon joined them.

"We have much to thank you for," Ho-oh said. "If it were not for you, things could have been dramatically different and humanity's future would have been uncertain. We can only hope an event like this does not happen again."

"And if it were to?" Ash asked.

"Then we know who to go to then," Lugia said, smiling.

All of a sudden, in front of all them appeared Arceus. "Arceus!" the trainers and their Pokemon said.

"On behalf of all of us, we thank you," Arceus said as he and the other legendaries took a bow. "Although the future is never certain, at least for now everything is peaceful once again." He then looked around. "I'm afraid we cannot stay. But we all wanted to say what needed to say. The world is in your debt." And with that, they then disappeared for the final time.

"Hey Emma?" Pikachu asked. "What Sirius said before… do you have any idea what he was talking about?"

"Not at all," Emma said, shaking her head. "I guess there's just something unique about us two, that's all."

"So what will you and Lex do now?" Pikachu asked.

"I don't know," Emma said, looking at Lex. "Our home is gone now… but we can always manage."

"You know, you can always just live with one of us," Ash said.

"He has a point," Lex said.

"Hmm…" Emma then thought. "Very well," she said, smiling. "That's an offer I can't refuse."  


* * *

(A/N: Oh and of course there's time I gotta be original. XD The song I have here is "A Meeting and Parting" from the Pokemon anime, and yes it's a familiar tune.)

* * *

*"Well, now that's settled, what do we do now?" Dawn asked.

"I guess now its back to our daily lives," Brock said. "Cause unfortunately, we all live in different regions."

"Well, you know what they say, all good things come to an end," Drew said.

"But most likely this won't be the last time we see each other," May said as she and Drew looked to each other and smiled.

"So Dawn," Paul then asked. "What will you do now?"

"Hmm… well, I thought maybe I'd stay with Ash until things get settled," Dawn replied. "That is, if you don't mind?"

"I…" Paul said. He then sighed, trying not to give anything. "That's fine. It's your choice."

Dawn giggled. "Don't worry Paul, I'll come visit you."

"Hey Piplup," Emma then said, now feeling guilty. "Listen, I'm-"

"Nah, don't worry about it," Piplup said. "It's alright. You and Lex both love each other, I understand."

"Oh… well, I'm glad you understand," she said, smiling.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in," Pikachu said. "I'm surprised you managed to handle yourself."

"Oh yeah," Piplup said, now starting to shake. "Not a problem at all."

"…Are you okay?" Pikachu asked.

"Yep!" Piplup said with a fake smile although tears were forming in his eyes. "Just… great! Don't worry about me!" Pikachu just sighed while sweatdropping.  


* * *

(A/N: And now for the final song. It's a bit different from what I've used before, but hey, change is good. Anyway, the name of the song is "Pokemon Dance Mix" from the 2 B a Master! album.)

* * *

*"Actually, I thought before all that you could all come back to my place," Ash said. "My mom is really good at cooking and definitely wouldn't mind the company."

"All the way to Kanto?" May asked.

"No problem, we'll take the bus," Ash said. He then looked to Pikachu who then grinned and got back on his shoulder. "So…" He then took off. "Last person back to Sandgem Town pays for the tickets!"

"What!" everyone said, and immediately they set off after him, seriously hoping that he was only kidding around.

* * *

(A/N: And roll credits! Yes! I was able to not only just get this done before school starts I got it done in less than a year! Wait… wow, it really took that long? Well, I think from now on in the future I'm going to focus on probably one story at a time instead of multiple ones. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the story and let's see… I wanna thank Nintendo and Game Freak once again for creating an awesome series, the people who's music I borrowed music a lot from (Square-Enix especially), and of course the viewers like you who were patient enough to wait for each and every chapter. I can't say when exactly I'll start Pokemon Beginnings 2, but probably real soon and that one will be another fun one to do. So, until next time, this is FoxMcCloud7921 signing off!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	32. Epilogue

(A/N: Ah, thought it was over huh? Not quite. For this little epilogue, we have the song "Shinra Company" from Final Fantasy VII OST Remastered. One of the most evil themes you'll ever hear.)

* * *

Epilogue

*"Ah, what a shame," Thane said. "It seems our dear brother Sirius was unsuccessful with his plans. How pitiful."

"And he was so close too," Caix said, smirking. "Guess we shouldn't have doubted him so much."

"No matter, this is good for us," Thane said. "Those humans did us a favor. Give it some time, and then it'll be our turn to play our part in this story. Oh, and Drex?" However, Drex was looking at a recording of the boy and his Pikachu. "Drex!"

Drex then came back to his senses. "Sorry, what it is it?"

"I want you to study these humans and their Pokemon carefully," Thane said. "Obviously taking down Sirius means they are capable of taking us down. I want you to find out how they did this."

"Right," Drex responded. He turned his thoughts back to the recording, but he wasn't focusing on the trainer but instead his Pikachu. _"Could it really be him? After all these years, are you now against us Pikachu?"  


* * *

_

FoxMcCloud7921


End file.
